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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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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 · key · wave · pound · pop · press · board · tear

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. key — in music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pound — a weight
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. tear — to rip
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. board — to get on
  13. pop — music
  14. press — a publisher
  15. board — a committee
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pop — to visit
  18. tear — from crying
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tear — from crying
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pop — soda

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