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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: stand · firm · fall · foot · kid · mouse · last · key

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. 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. firm — decided
  2. key — the most important part
  3. last — finally
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. kid — child
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. key — in music
  12. last — to go on
  13. fall — to drop
  14. firm — steady
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. last — final
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fall — the season
  21. foot — a measure
  22. firm — a company
  23. kid — to tease
  24. 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