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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: prune · wave · arm · march · key · trunk · hand · stock

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. hand — help
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. march — the month
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. key — in music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stock — shares
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. march — music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. key — for a lock
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. hand — part of the body
  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