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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: perch · craft · press · patient · wake · cold · board · calf

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. press — newspapers
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. press — a publisher
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cold — an illness
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wake — a trail
  16. press — to push
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. board — a committee
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cold — not warm
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. calf — a young animal

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