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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 120 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 · saw · mug · lean · mine · bank

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mug — a cup
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bank — for money
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. spell — letters
  11. bank — of a river
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lean — to bend
  14. spell — a short time
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mug — a face
  17. spell — magic
  18. lean — thin

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