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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: track · coach · mug · wave · perch · calf · game · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. track — to keep track
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. track — a song
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. track — a path
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mug — a face
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — a trainer

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