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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: calf · lash · straw · court · face · prune · march · current

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. face — to confront
  4. prune — to trim
  5. current — happening now
  6. prune — to trim
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. current — of water
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. court — of a king
  15. march — the month
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. march — the month
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. court — for sport
  21. march — music
  22. court — of law
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. current — electric

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