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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: cabinet · calf · kick · stock · board · court · lash · race

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. court — for sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — of a king
  12. stock — shares
  13. race — the arms race
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stock — goods
  16. kick — in football
  17. board — a committee
  18. race — a contest
  19. court — of law
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. board — to get on
  23. race — humankind
  24. cabinet — ministers

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