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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: safe · root · fork · current · prune · bound · land · wax

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bound — obliged
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. current — of water
  11. prune — to trim
  12. root — the cause
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bound — certain
  15. root — of a word
  16. current — happening now
  17. prune — to trim
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. land — a country
  21. fork — in a road
  22. current — electric
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wax — to grow

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