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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · lash · craft · bore · court · patient · wind · bark

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. craft — boats
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. spell — magic
  8. craft — a skill
  9. court — for sport
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. court — of a king
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bore — to drill
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spell — a short time
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. spell — letters
  22. court — of law
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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