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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 116 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: lean · lash · race · calf · wind · march

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wind — moving air
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. lean — thin
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. race — the arms race
  14. march — the month
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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