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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: cue · cabinet · cell · mark · fan · season · bound · hand

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. season — of the year
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hand — help
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. season — in sport
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cell — a phone
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cell — in biology
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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