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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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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 · content · fork · lie · ruler · tube · row · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. tube — the underground
  3. row — to paddle
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. content — the amount
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tube — a container
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lie — to recline

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