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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
468
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: fan · season · cabinet · bulb · saw · sharp · wax · hide

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. sharp — clever
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. season — of the year
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bulb — for light
  19. season — in sport
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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