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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: field · spell · rush · cabinet · cold · bowl · patient · fork

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cold — not warm
  4. field — farmland
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spell — letters
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. field — for sport
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. field — a subject
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. spell — magic
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bowl — a dish

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