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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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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: field · snap · mug · wound · spell · bank · bay · toast

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bank — of a river
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. toast — bread
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. field — for sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. spell — a short time
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. spell — magic
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. field — farmland
  19. bank — for money
  20. mug — to rob
  21. field — a subject
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. spell — letters
  24. wound — an injury

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