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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: court · trunk · craft · bank · snap · rule · patient · bore

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. court — of a king
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. snap — to click
  7. bank — for money
  8. bore — to tire
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bank — for money
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rule — government
  13. bank — of a river
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. court — for sport
  18. rule — a law
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. court — of law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bore — to drill
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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