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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: mug · firm · cabinet · swing · cell · wind · kid · key

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. firm — steady
  5. swing — music
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kid — child
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cell — in biology
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. kid — to tease
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mug — a face
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mug — a cup

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