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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: prune · pass · stock · lash · court · file · kick · branch

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. file — a tool
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stock — shares
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. stock — goods
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. branch — a division
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pass — a permit
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. court — of law
  24. branch — of a tree

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