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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: object · season · firm · key · arm · chair · kick · clip

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. object — to protest
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. clip — for paper
  6. object — an aim
  7. kick — in football
  8. key — the most important part
  9. clip — a video
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. object — a thing
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. season — of the year
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. firm — steady
  19. season — in sport
  20. clip — to cut
  21. chair — a leader
  22. firm — decided
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. firm — a company

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