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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 · wave · key · firm · rest · club · march · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rest — a break
  4. lean — thin
  5. march — music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. firm — a company
  9. club — for golf
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. march — the month
  12. fall — the season
  13. key — in music
  14. club — a group
  15. rest — what's left
  16. march — the month
  17. firm — steady
  18. lean — to bend
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rest — what's left
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fall — to drop
  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