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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: bound · board · cabinet · hand · trunk · patient · craft · temple

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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 — a handicraft
  2. hand — help
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. craft — boats
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. craft — a skill
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. board — to get on
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. board — a committee
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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