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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: wave · toast · mine · foot · patient · board · bowl · mark

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. toast — bread
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mark — a trace

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