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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: prune · temple · root · present · fan · bore · wake · bark

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. present — the time now
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. present — a gift
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. prune — to trim
  17. root — the cause
  18. prune — to trim
  19. present — there
  20. wake — a trail
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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