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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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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: wake · can · court · fall · calf · lash · rest · craft

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. court — for sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rest — what's left
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rest — a break
  16. fall — to drop
  17. can — a tin
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. court — of law
  21. craft — a skill
  22. can — to be able to
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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