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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: branch · coach · stock · last · kick · prune · suit · temple

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. last — final
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. suit — in cards
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stock — shares
  9. last — to go on
  10. prune — to trim
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. suit — to fit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stock — goods
  16. suit — clothes
  17. branch — a division
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. last — finally
  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