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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 · lean · key · wound · mug · bark · craft · cabinet

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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. wound — an injury
  4. key — in music
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. court — for sport
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — for a lock
  10. court — of law
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mug — a face
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. mug — to rob

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