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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. chest — of your body
  3. last — to go on
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. swing — in golf
  8. chest — a box
  9. spring — the season
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mug — a cup
  13. last — finally
  14. swing — music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chest — of your body
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mug — to rob
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mug — a face
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. last — final
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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