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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · arm · key · row · rush · stick · current · kick

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. kick — in football
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — happening now
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. key — for a lock
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. key — the most important part
  15. spring — of water
  16. current — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. current — electric
  19. key — in music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. row — a line
  24. arm — a part of something

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