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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: lie · saw · cue · wake · plane · branch · mug · roll

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cue — a signal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. branch — a division
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cue — for pool
  13. roll — a list
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mug — to rob
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. mug — a face
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cue — a hint
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mug — a cup

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