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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: fall · key · arm · leaves · suit · toast · firm · wind

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. firm — decided
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fall — the season
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. firm — steady
  10. wind — moving air
  11. toast — bread
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. firm — a company
  15. suit — clothes
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. key — the most important part
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. key — in music
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. leaves — lets stay

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