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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: current · last · cue · wake · shower · stem · cold · jam

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. shower — rain
  3. cue — for pool
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cue — a signal
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wake — a trail
  11. current — electric
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cue — a hint
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cold — not warm
  17. last — to go on
  18. cold — an illness
  19. last — final
  20. current — happening now
  21. last — finally
  22. current — of water
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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