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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: scale · bank · craft · file · wind · squash · cabinet · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. file — a tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. craft — a skill
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. craft — boats
  9. wind — moving air
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wind — moving air
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bank — for money
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. scale — in music
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cabinet — ministers

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