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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 120 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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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: dip · mark · calf · court · bay · content · lie · kick

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. court — of a king
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mark — a trace
  8. kick — in football
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. content — happy
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lie — to recline
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — the amount
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. court — for sport
  23. content — videos and posts
  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