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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · lie · arm · pitch · march · race · calf · hand

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pop — to visit
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pop — soda
  9. march — the month
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. race — the arms race
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — music
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pitch — completely
  22. march — music
  23. lie — to recline
  24. hand — help

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