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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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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: key · patient · bore · stem · chest · deal · mine · bank

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mine — for digging
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. key — the most important part
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bank — for money
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bore — to tire
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bank — for money
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. chest — a box
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chest — of your body

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