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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 124 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rock — a stone
  3. file — a document
  4. swing — in golf
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spring — of water
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rock — music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. swing — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. deal — to handle
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cue — for pool
  22. file — a tool
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. swing — to play on

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