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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 · bear · wave · swing · current · roll · face · pit

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. swing — music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. face — to point toward
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bear — the animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. current — electric
  16. face — to confront
  17. cue — a hint
  18. current — of water
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cue — for pool
  23. current — happening now
  24. cue — a signal

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