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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.

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: arm · stock · prune · dip · race · lean · wake · coach

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wake — a trail
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lean — thin
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stock — goods
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. race — the arms race
  11. dip — to sink
  12. lean — to bend
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. race — a contest
  15. prune — to trim
  16. race — humankind
  17. stock — shares
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lean — to rest against

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