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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. prune — to trim
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. net — after costs
  9. spell — letters
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mine — for digging
  13. net — for catching
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. court — of a king
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. spell — magic
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. court — for sport
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. net — in sport

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