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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: bowl · lean · saw · pit · mine · cue · coach · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lean — thin
  4. cue — a hint
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lean — to bend
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. pit — in a race
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. saw — the tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. cue — a signal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cue — for pool

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