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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 116 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: lean · firm · ground · mug · spell · row · mouse · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. firm — decided
  3. spell — letters
  4. mug — a cup
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spell — magic
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lean — to bend
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ground — a position
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. mug — a face
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. firm — steady
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. firm — a company

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