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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.

Make a worksheet

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: season · bound · saw · fan · last · cabinet · key · mine

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. season — in sport
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. saw — the tool
  8. last — to go on
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bound — obliged
  14. key — in music
  15. season — of the year
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. key — the most important part
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bound — tied together

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