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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: mug · court · press · craft · rest · trunk · drill · rush

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. craft — boats
  5. court — of law
  6. rest — a break
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mug — a face
  12. drill — army training
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. press — a publisher
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. drill — a practice
  23. press — to push
  24. trunk — of a car

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