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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: cap · saw · hand · race · cue · jam · stand · lie

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cap — a hat
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cue — for pool
  6. race — a contest
  7. cap — of ice
  8. race — humankind
  9. hand — help
  10. cue — a signal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. race — the arms race
  24. cap — a lid

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