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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: cue · clip · key · file · swing · chest · arm · deal

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. deal — to handle
  3. swing — music
  4. file — a document
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. clip — to cut
  8. chest — of your body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chest — a box
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cue — a hint
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. file — a tool
  21. swing — to play on
  22. key — in music
  23. file — a line of people
  24. chest — of your body

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