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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pass — a permit
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bark — to shout
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. march — the month
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lash — to lash out

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