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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: mouse · calf · lie · coach · fork · saw · patient · band

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. band — a ring
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. saw — the tool
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. band — a music group
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fork — in a road

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