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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: sharp · leaves · stock · capital · prune · stick · fall · temple

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. capital — money
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stock — goods
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fall — to drop
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stock — shares
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. capital — a city
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fall — the season
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. prune — to trim
  24. leaves — 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