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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: swing · cue · current · deal · rash · ruler · chest · spring

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. spring — the season
  8. rash — hasty
  9. swing — music
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. spring — of water
  12. cue — a hint
  13. current — electric
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. swing — to play on
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. current — of water
  21. swing — in golf
  22. current — happening now
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rash — a series

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