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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spring · can · cold · current · rush · craft · bowl

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. current — of water
  3. cold — an illness
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cue — for pool
  12. current — electric
  13. cold — not warm
  14. rush — hurry
  15. can — a tin
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. current — happening now
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. spring — of water
  23. can — a tin
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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