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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 120 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: nail · rush · temple · rest · club · calf · fall · scale

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. club — a group
  7. fall — the season
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. club — for dancing
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rush — to hurry

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