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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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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 · mark · kick · rest · nail · staff · tube · swing

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. spring — the season
  9. staff — employees
  10. tube — a container
  11. rest — a break
  12. staff — a stick
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. spring — of water
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mark — a trace
  22. tube — the underground
  23. staff — employees
  24. rest — what's left

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