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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: key · club · bowl · fall · mug · cell · rash · firm

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. firm — steady
  3. club — a group
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. firm — a company
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. key — in music
  13. mug — a face
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. club — for golf
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mug — to rob
  23. key — the most important part
  24. firm — decided

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