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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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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: rush · temple · court · scale · calf · wake · lash · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. court — for sport
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. court — of a king
  9. pop — music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. court — of law
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. scale — in music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. scale — for weighing

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