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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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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: rush · fork · mark · temple · content · prune · mate · kid

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mark — a trace
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mark — a grade
  12. prune — to trim
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. content — happy
  15. kid — to tease
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. content — the amount
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mate — a partner
  24. kid — child

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