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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: field · race · cabinet · wake · patient · calf · spell · bear

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. race — a contest
  4. field — a subject
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. race — humankind
  13. field — for sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spell — letters
  20. field — farmland
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wake — a trail
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spell — magic

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