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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 120 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: cell · spring · fan · net · key · can · bowl · leaves

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. net — for catching
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. key — the most important part
  10. spring — of water
  11. net — after costs
  12. cell — a phone
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. net — in sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. spring — the season
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spring — a coil
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. can — a tin
  24. leaves — lets stay

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