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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: bank · suit · bay · mug · spell · ground · field · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bank — for money
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mug — a face
  8. field — a subject
  9. ground — a position
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. field — for sport
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bank — of a river
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mug — to rob
  20. spell — magic
  21. bank — for money
  22. spell — a short time
  23. field — farmland
  24. spell — letters

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