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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 120 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: mate · drill · trunk · patient · race · court · nail · craft

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. drill — army training
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. race — a contest
  7. court — of a king
  8. mate — to breed
  9. craft — a skill
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. craft — boats
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. drill — a practice
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mate — a friend
  16. court — of law
  17. race — the arms race
  18. drill — the tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. race — humankind
  22. court — for sport
  23. mate — a partner
  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