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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: wax · trunk · perch · lash · prune · stock · capital · spell

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. capital — a city
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. capital — money
  10. spell — magic
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wax — to grow
  13. spell — a short time
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spell — letters
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stock — shares

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