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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.

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: can · lie · racket · degree · plane · straw · sharp · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cue — a hint
  5. can — to be able to
  6. degree — temperature
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cue — for pool
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. degree — from a university
  15. can — a tin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. plane — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. degree — an amount
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lie — an untruth

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