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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: board · patient · craft · wave · rush · straw · content · pound

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. content — the amount
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. content — happy
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. board — to get on
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. craft — boats
  21. board — a committee
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. straw — a straw man

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