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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: saw · season · cabinet · straw · perch · key · land · cell

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. perch — the fish
  9. key — the most important part
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. land — a country
  12. saw — the tool
  13. land — ground
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. season — in sport
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. key — in music
  18. cell — a phone
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. key — for a lock
  21. land — to come down
  22. saw — the tool
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. season — to add flavour

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