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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.

Make a worksheet

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: board · scale · patient · rush · stick · wave · press · dip

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. scale — in music
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. scale — size or range
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — hurry
  15. board — a committee
  16. press — to push
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. press — a publisher
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. board — to get on
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rush — to hurry

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