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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.

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: wax · row · bass · patient · board · pound · suit · bat

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. board — to get on
  3. pound — a weight
  4. board — a committee
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bat — the animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bass — low music
  21. wax — to grow
  22. suit — to fit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — in cards

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