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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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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: cabinet · lean · wave · ball · wind · fan · key · arm

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. key — in music
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lean — thin
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ball — a round shape

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