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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: leaves · kick · lash · march · stick · ruler

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. march — the month
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. march — the month
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. march — music
  18. leaves — of a tree

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