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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: row · fork · roll · temple · craft · wake · arm · rash

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rash — a series
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wake — a trail
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fork — in a road
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. roll — a list
  14. row — a line
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. roll — a cake
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. craft — a handicraft

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