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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · key · patient · field · vault · cold · suit · rash

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. spell — letters
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. spell — a short time
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. field — a subject
  7. rash — a series
  8. key — for a lock
  9. suit — clothes
  10. key — in music
  11. cold — not warm
  12. rash — hasty
  13. spell — magic
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. suit — in cards
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. suit — to fit
  21. vault — a safe
  22. field — farmland
  23. cold — an illness
  24. field — for sport

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