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

Word bank: fall · kick · hide · march · swing · calf · pass · race

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — to play on
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. march — music
  5. swing — music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. kick — in football
  8. race — the arms race
  9. fall — the season
  10. race — humankind
  11. pass — a permit
  12. march — the month
  13. swing — in golf
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. march — the month
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. race — a contest
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. kick — a thrill

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