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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: firm · chair · mug · can · spell · lie · field · wind

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wind — moving air
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mug — a face
  6. firm — steady
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. firm — a company
  10. mug — a cup
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. field — a subject
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chair — a leader
  15. can — a tin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mug — to rob
  18. field — farmland
  19. can — a tin
  20. field — for sport
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. chair — a professorship

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