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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · fan · safe · rush · saw · mouse · cold · season

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. saw — the tool
  9. season — in sport
  10. game — a match
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. season — of the year
  13. rush — hurry
  14. game — wild animals
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cold — an illness
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cold — not warm
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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