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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 116 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 · fork · rest · content · spell · safe

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. prune — to trim
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. spell — letters
  6. fork — in a road
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. spell — magic
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rest — what's left
  15. prune — to trim
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. rest — what's left

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