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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: temple · court · kick · object · calf · cap · ruler · lash

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. court — of a king
  4. kick — in football
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. object — an aim
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. object — a thing
  11. court — for sport
  12. object — to protest
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cap — a hat
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cap — a lid
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. court — of law
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. temple — a place of worship

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