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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: wake · prune · root · content · mate · leaves · fork · rest

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. root — of a word
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rest — what's left
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mate — a friend
  11. content — the amount
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mate — to breed
  15. prune — to trim
  16. content — happy
  17. rest — a break
  18. root — the cause
  19. wake — a trail
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. leaves — to go away

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