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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: mouse · lie · field · object · firm · staff · wave · mug

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. object — to protest
  9. lie — to recline
  10. field — a subject
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mug — a face
  13. firm — steady
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — a thing
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. firm — decided
  18. staff — a stick
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. mug — to rob
  22. staff — employees
  23. firm — a company
  24. wave — with your hand

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