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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: craft · fall · temple · club · rash · lie · date · last

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. date — the fruit
  4. fall — the season
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fall — to drop
  8. club — a group
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. fall — to drop
  13. last — final
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. craft — boats
  17. lie — to recline
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. club — for golf
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. craft — a skill
  24. temple — a place of worship

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