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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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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: patient · swing · spring · key · rush · staff · present · pit

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pit — in a race
  3. key — for a lock
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rush — hurry
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. key — the most important part
  12. spring — the season
  13. key — in music
  14. swing — music
  15. present — a gift
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. staff — employees
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. spring — a coil
  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