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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · face · lash · wave · bound · stick · current · stock

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. current — electric
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stock — shares
  8. bound — certain
  9. prune — to trim
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stock — goods
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bound — obliged
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bound — tied together
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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