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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: leaves · stock · lie · race · sharp · cue · wax · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stock — goods
  5. race — humankind
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — to grow
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cue — a signal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. race — a contest
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. race — the arms race
  22. stock — shares
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. prune — to trim

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