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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 120 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: rush · kid · current · stick · game · cue · mine · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. current — happening now
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mine — for digging
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. game — a match
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rush — hurry
  18. current — of water
  19. kid — to tease
  20. current — electric
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cue — a signal
  24. game — wild animals

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