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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mine · saw · patient · pass · staff · stick · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tube — a container
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mine — for digging
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. saw — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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