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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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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: race · root · wave · current · cell · face · cue · swing

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. swing — music
  3. race — a contest
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cell — in biology
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cue — a signal
  8. swing — in golf
  9. face — to confront
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. face — part of the head
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. current — happening now
  17. cell — a phone
  18. current — electric
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. swing — to play on
  22. root — of a word
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. current — of water

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