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

Word bank: ruler · leaves · court · cabinet · pound · calf · cell · lash

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. court — of law
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. court — of a king
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. court — for 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