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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
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: plane · clip · calf · club · racket · key · lie · saw

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. clip — for paper
  3. key — for a lock
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lie — to recline
  6. key — the most important part
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. club — for golf
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. key — in music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. clip — a video
  21. saw — the tool
  22. club — for dancing
  23. clip — to cut
  24. calf — of the leg

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