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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 116 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: scale · bound · wake · patient · prune · stem · key · bore

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bound — obliged
  6. scale — in music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bound — certain
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. key — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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