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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.

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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: cue · face · craft · stock · wave · pitcher · chest · rash

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stock — goods
  6. craft — boats
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chest — a box
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — to point toward
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rash — a series
  17. face — to confront
  18. stock — shares
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. face — part of the head
  22. chest — of your body
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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