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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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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: cue · lash · swing · pit · key · press · spring · squash

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. swing — to play on
  5. spring — of water
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. spring — the season
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. key — in music
  10. press — newspapers
  11. key — the most important part
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cue — a signal
  14. swing — music
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cue — for pool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. press — to push
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pit — a hole

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