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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.

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 · pop · bat · calf · present · bay · lash · leaves

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bat — the animal
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. present — a gift
  7. pop — music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. court — of law
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pop — soda
  15. court — for sport
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pop — to visit

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