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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. present — a gift
  5. swing — in golf
  6. spring — the season
  7. bank — for money
  8. cue — a hint
  9. present — there
  10. chest — of your body
  11. tube — the underground
  12. swing — music
  13. spring — of water
  14. bank — of a river
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cue — a signal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bank — for money
  21. cue — for pool
  22. present — the time now
  23. chest — a box
  24. tube — a container

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