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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: stick · calf · prune · march · wind · object · court · lash

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. court — of law
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. court — of a king
  5. wind — moving air
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. march — the month
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. object — a thing
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. march — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — the month
  20. court — for sport
  21. object — to protest
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. object — an aim

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