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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: patient · pop · lean · board · wake · bat · snap · ball

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bat — the animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. snap — to click
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pop — to visit
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. board — a committee
  19. ball — a great time
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. board — to get on

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