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

Word bank: spring · cue · swing · press · wind · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cue — a signal
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wind — moving air
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cue — a hint
  11. swing — to play on
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spring — the season
  15. press — to push
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water

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