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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 · spring · present · lash · pit · temple · swing · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pit — a hole
  8. spring — the season
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. spring — of water
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cue — a signal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spring — a coil
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. swing — music
  21. present — there
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rock — music
  24. temple — a place of worship

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