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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: craft · pop · dip · current · stem · chest · cue · clip

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. current — of water
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. chest — a box
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pop — music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. stem — to come from
  17. craft — boats
  18. current — electric
  19. pop — soda
  20. chest — of your body
  21. clip — a video
  22. chest — of your body
  23. dip — to sink
  24. current — happening now

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