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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · calf · hand · charge · wake · patient · stick · board

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. press — newspapers
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. press — to push
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. board — a committee
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — a trail
  13. board — to get on
  14. charge — electricity
  15. press — a publisher
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hand — help
  18. charge — in control
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. charge — a price

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