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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: bass · race · bound · mark · cue · stick · lie · cap

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bass — the fish
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. race — a contest
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bass — low music
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lie — to recline

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