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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.

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: date · mark · court · prune · wake · calf · cue · lash

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wake — a trail
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mark — a trace
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. prune — to trim
  14. court — of a king
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mark — a grade
  18. court — of law
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. date — the fruit
  24. prune — the fruit

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