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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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Word bank
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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: wound · current · staff · chip · cue · saw · key · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. current — electric
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cue — a hint
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chip — to eat
  9. staff — employees
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wound — an injury
  12. spring — of water
  13. wound — an injury
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cue — for pool
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. cue — a signal
  21. staff — employees
  22. saw — the tool
  23. staff — a stick
  24. saw — the tool

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