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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 · rash · key · patient · lie · lean · spring · leaves

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lie — to recline
  3. key — the most important part
  4. spring — a coil
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. spell — magic
  7. spring — the season
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rash — a series
  13. key — in music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spell — letters
  16. spring — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lean — thin
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lean — to bend
  22. spell — a short time
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rash — on the skin

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