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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: wave · bank · trunk · stock · pitch · board · lash · prune

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stock — shares
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stock — goods
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bank — for money
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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