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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · fine · wave · ground · lie · row · bank · bat

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bank — for money
  8. fine — all right
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mug — a cup
  11. ground — the earth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bank — for money
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ground — a position
  24. fine — a penalty

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