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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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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: firm · mug · spell · mate · fine · tear · roll · ground

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fine — all right
  5. firm — a company
  6. ground — the earth
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mate — to breed
  18. firm — steady
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. spell — magic
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. firm — decided

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