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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 116 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: pass · safe · mine · fan · hand · saw · bulb · season

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hand — help
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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