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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.

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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: bound · fall · race · coach · lean · arm · club · key

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lean — to bend
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fall — to drop
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. key — for a lock
  13. race — a contest
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. race — humankind
  18. lean — thin
  19. club — for golf
  20. key — in music
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bound — tied together
  24. key — the most important part

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