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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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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: rock · calf · content · court · lash · lie · stand · bark

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rock — music
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bark — to shout
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — the amount
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. court — of a king
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. content — happy
  12. rock — a stone
  13. court — for sport
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. calf — a young animal

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