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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 · club · chair · clip · lie · court · lean

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. clip — for paper
  3. court — of law
  4. rock — music
  5. lean — to bend
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. court — for sport
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lean — thin
  11. club — a group
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. club — for golf
  20. lie — to recline
  21. chair — a leader
  22. clip — a video
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. court — of a king

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