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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: fall · cabinet · firm · foot · club · file · swing · snap

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fall — to drop
  4. file — a document
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. file — a tool
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. snap — to click
  10. file — a line of people
  11. firm — a company
  12. club — a group
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. firm — steady
  16. foot — a measure
  17. firm — decided
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fall — the season
  20. swing — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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