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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: row · fall · saw · rest · craft · scale · temple · club

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. craft — a skill
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fall — the season
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fall — to drop
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rest — a break
  14. craft — boats
  15. club — for dancing
  16. row — a line
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fall — to drop
  19. row — to paddle
  20. scale — in music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. saw — the tool

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