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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 116 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: degree · cap · race · saw · wound · can · cue · lie

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. can — to be able to
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — a contest
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cap — a hat
  10. race — the arms race
  11. degree — temperature
  12. saw — the tool
  13. race — humankind
  14. can — a tin
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cue — for pool
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. can — a tin
  24. wound — an injury

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