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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: chest · wind · cue · cap · pass · spell · bulb · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bulb — for light
  3. swing — music
  4. chest — a box
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. swing — to play on
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. spell — letters
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cue — a signal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cap — a lid
  20. spell — magic
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cap — of ice

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