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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: stock · branch · ruler · prune · drill · lash · current · patient

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. drill — a practice
  3. prune — to trim
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. current — happening now
  9. stock — goods
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. current — electric
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. current — of water
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. branch — a division
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. drill — army training

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