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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: staff · tube · face · current · rash · cue · craft · stem

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cue — a hint
  5. tube — a container
  6. staff — employees
  7. current — electric
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cue — for pool
  13. current — of water
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. craft — a skill
  19. current — happening now
  20. staff — employees
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. staff — a stick
  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