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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 · hand · wax · content · firm · safe · root · dip

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. hand — help
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. hand — in cards
  21. content — happy
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  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