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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: face · current · kid · wave · craft · cue · court · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. face — to confront
  5. current — happening now
  6. cue — for pool
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. court — for sport
  10. current — of water
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. craft — boats
  15. kid — child
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cue — a hint
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. current — electric
  21. court — of a king
  22. kid — to tease
  23. court — of law
  24. craft — a skill

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