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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: wax · hand · cue · saw · race · can · craft · fan

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. craft — a skill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. race — a contest
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. race — humankind
  10. hand — help
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wax — to grow
  14. hand — in cards
  15. race — the arms race
  16. can — a tin
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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