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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: calf · court · date · craft · lean · saw · pass · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. craft — a skill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. court — of a king
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. saw — the tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pass — a permit
  22. court — for sport
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. court — of law

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