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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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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: prune · cabinet · hand · fan · key · mark · bound · current

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bound — tied together
  4. prune — to trim
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. current — of water
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bound — certain
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. current — electric
  12. key — in music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. current — happening now
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — obliged
  18. hand — help
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — to cool the air

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