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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: snap · staff · dip · key · patient · lie · land · present

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. land — to come down
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. key — the most important part
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. key — for a lock
  13. land — ground
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. present — a gift
  16. key — in music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. snap — to click
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. staff — a stick
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. dip — to sink
  24. land — a country

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