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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: prune · mug · fall · key · cabinet · mark · temple · fork

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. key — the most important part
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mug — a face
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. key — in music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fall — to drop

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