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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: firm · cold · rest · fine · key · lean · cue · ball

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ball — a great time
  4. firm — decided
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cold — not warm
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. key — in music
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. firm — steady
  15. key — for a lock
  16. firm — a company
  17. key — the most important part
  18. fine — all right
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ball — a dance
  24. cold — the Cold War

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