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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: patient · board · foot · perch · row · season · dip · rash

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. season — in sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rash — hasty
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. row — a line
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — of the year
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. row — to paddle
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. dip — to sink
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. perch — the fish
  19. board — a committee
  20. foot — a measure
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. board — to get on
  24. rash — a series

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