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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · patient · board · calf · straw · content · row · pass

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. board — a committee
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. row — to paddle
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. content — happy
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. board — to get on
  18. row — a line
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pass — a permit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. sharp — clever

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