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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 120 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: pound · stand · board · plane · cold · rash · wake · patient

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cold — not warm
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rash — a series
  10. wake — a trail
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. board — to get on
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pound — a weight
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cold — an illness

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