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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. court — for sport
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. file — a tool
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rock — music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. file — a document
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mark — a trace
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. court — of law
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mark — to pay attention

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