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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: spell · toast · patient · field · season · kick · plane · tear

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. tear — to rip
  3. field — farmland
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spell — a short time
  6. tear — from crying
  7. spell — magic
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. field — a subject
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. tear — from crying
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. field — for sport
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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