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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: rash · prune · mate · rush · board · fork · root · saw

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rash — hasty
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. board — a committee
  5. root — the cause
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. prune — to trim
  11. root — of a plant
  12. saw — the tool
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. board — to get on
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fork — in a road
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. prune — to trim
  22. root — of a word
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. saw — the tool

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