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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 124 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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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: stand · prune · clip · chip · straw · ruler · wave · object

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. chip — for betting
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. prune — to trim
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. object — a thing
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. clip — to cut
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. ruler — a monarch

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