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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: saw · season · chest · mate · object · racket · safe · bound

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. season — of the year
  4. object — to protest
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bound — certain
  9. object — a thing
  10. mate — a partner
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bound — obliged
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chest — of your body
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chest — of your body
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chest — a box
  20. season — in sport
  21. object — an aim
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. saw — the tool

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