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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: nail · mine · mark · key · bound · cabinet · fan · bay

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bound — certain
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mine — for digging
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. key — the most important part
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. key — in music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fan — a supporter

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