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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · bark · fall · key · fine · firm · clip · dip

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. clip — for paper
  3. key — the most important part
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fine — all right
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. bark — to shout
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. key — in music
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fall — the season
  14. dip — to sink
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. firm — decided
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. clip — a video
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com