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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: stand · bulb · fork · wave · game · current · cue · face

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. game — wild animals
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. current — of water
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. game — a match
  18. fork — in a road
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. face — to confront

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