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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.

Make a worksheet

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: court · content · calf · lie · wound · lash · prune · pitcher

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. court — for sport
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. court — of a king
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. lie — to recline
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. content — happy
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wound — an injury

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