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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: prune · dip · present · staff · chest · patient · key · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chest — of your body
  4. present — a gift
  5. key — in music
  6. chest — a box
  7. present — there
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chest — of your body
  10. prune — to trim
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. staff — employees
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. key — for a lock
  16. staff — employees
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. prune — to trim
  21. key — the most important part
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. staff — a stick
  24. present — the time now

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