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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
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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: wave · fine · last · stock · kick · wound · prune · perch

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. prune — to trim
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. last — final
  10. stock — goods
  11. wound — an injury
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. last — to go on
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wound — an injury
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stock — shares
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. last — finally

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