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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: calf · lie · roll · snap · drill · fine · cue · racket

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to click
  3. fine — all right
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cue — a signal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. roll — a cake
  9. drill — army training
  10. cue — for pool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fine — high quality
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cue — a hint
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. roll — a list

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