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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
468
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 · lash · arm · march · straw · lean · calf · wake

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. lean — thin
  11. march — the month
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. march — the month
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. march — music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wake — a trail

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