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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
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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: cell · current · field · temple · spell · tear · patient · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. current — electric
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. current — of water
  5. spell — magic
  6. field — farmland
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cell — a phone
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. current — happening now
  12. spell — a short time
  13. field — for sport
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cell — in biology
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. field — a subject
  19. tear — from crying
  20. spell — letters
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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