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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.

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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: rest · key · cue · spring · bulb · swing · chest · last

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. rest — a break
  3. spring — the season
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cue — a hint
  6. last — finally
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. spring — of water
  9. swing — music
  10. last — to go on
  11. key — in music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chest — a box
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chest — of your body
  20. key — the most important part
  21. last — final
  22. cue — for pool
  23. spring — a coil
  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