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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: saw · fan · key · track · clip · cabinet · mine · land

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. track — a path
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — to cut
  6. land — to come down
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. key — in music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. land — ground
  14. key — the most important part
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — for a lock
  17. track — a song
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. clip — a video
  21. saw — the tool
  22. land — a country
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. track — to keep track

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