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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 116 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: saw · ground · firm · fall · stick · prune · cell · suit

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ground — the earth
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fall — the season
  14. firm — steady
  15. cell — in biology
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. prune — to trim
  19. firm — a company
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fall — to drop
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fall — to drop
  24. suit — clothes

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