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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · plane · calf · cue · roll · clip · lie · coach

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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. clip — for paper
  4. plane — a tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. roll — a cake
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. clip — to cut
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cue — a signal
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cue — for pool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cue — a hint
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. roll — a list
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. clip — a video
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. saw — the tool

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