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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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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: hand · bear · fall · bound · dip · chip · squash · prune

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bound — certain
  4. squash — to crush
  5. hand — help
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fall — to drop
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chip — for betting
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fall — the season
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. squash — the sport
  23. prune — to trim
  24. dip — to dunk

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