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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 · key · bulb · bound · fall · season · snap · content

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. key — the most important part
  3. snap — to click
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bound — obliged
  9. key — in music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bound — tied together
  12. content — the amount
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bound — certain
  15. season — of the year
  16. bulb — for light
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. season — in sport
  20. fall — the season
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bulb — for light
  23. content — happy
  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