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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.

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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: mark · spell · mine · saw · fine · object · rush · mug

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mug — a face
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. saw — the tool
  6. object — to protest
  7. fine — high quality
  8. spell — magic
  9. object — a thing
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. saw — the tool
  12. spell — letters
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fine — all right
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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