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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: spell · tear · patient · jam · fan · field · hide · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. tear — to rip
  3. field — farmland
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. field — a subject
  8. tear — from crying
  9. last — to go on
  10. spell — magic
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tear — from crying
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. last — final
  23. field — for sport
  24. spell — letters

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