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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: mouse · can · wave · charge · pound · straw · patient · toast

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. pound — for dogs
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pound — a weight
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. can — to be able to
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. can — a tin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. charge — in control
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. toast — bread
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. charge — a price
  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