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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: rest · cabinet · bay · bass · ground · court · calf · lash

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. court — of a king
  9. ground — a position
  10. rest — a break
  11. court — for sport
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. court — of law
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bass — low music
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. ground — crushed
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bass — the fish
  24. calf — of the leg

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