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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 120 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 · key · hand · lean · craft · chest · chip · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chest — of your body
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lean — thin
  11. key — for a lock
  12. hand — help
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chest — a box
  15. key — in music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. craft — boats
  19. key — the most important part
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. chest — of your body
  24. craft — a handicraft

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