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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · fan · leaves · patient · pop · prune · craft · present

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pop — soda
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. chest — a box
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. present — there
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pop — music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. present — a gift
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. present — the time now
  23. craft — boats
  24. prune — to trim

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