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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 · lie · toast · race · patient · mate · stand · rash

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. spell — a short time
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. spell — letters
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. toast — bread
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. stand — to bear
  11. race — the arms race
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mate — a friend
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rash — a series
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. lie — to recline
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. spell — magic
  24. mate — a partner

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