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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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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: wind · kick · key · club · firm · temple

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. key — the most important part
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wind — moving air
  6. firm — a company
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wind — moving air
  11. kick — in football
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. club — for golf
  16. key — in music
  17. club — for dancing
  18. key — for a lock

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