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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 116 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: board · stock · wind · calf · mate · rash · patient · leaves

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. board — to get on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rash — a series
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stock — shares
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stock — goods
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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