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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: club · bore · court · tear · calf · saw · stand · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. club — a group
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bore — to drill
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. court — of a king
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. court — for sport
  14. stand — to bear
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. tear — from crying
  18. club — for golf
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. court — of law
  22. club — for dancing
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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