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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 116 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: board · content · patient · fall · bowl · bound · straw · wake

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. board — to get on
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. fall — the season
  15. bound — tied together
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. board — a committee
  21. bound — certain
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. content — videos and posts

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