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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: wound · lean · leaves · root · pit · prune · content · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lean — thin
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pit — in a race
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lean — to bend
  14. root — the cause
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wound — an injury
  17. prune — to trim
  18. content — happy
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. content — the amount
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fine — high quality
  23. prune — to trim
  24. leaves — lets stay

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