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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: wake · mine · craft · trunk · straw · temple · patient · deal

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mine — for digging
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wake — a trail
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. craft — boats
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. craft — a skill

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