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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 120 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: race · kick · safe · stand · season · lash · calf · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stand — to bear
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. season — in sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. season — of the year
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. race — a contest
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — the arms race
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. season — to add flavour

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