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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: stand · mark · lash · march · race · bank · hide · kid

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. march — the month
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mark — a trace
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bank — for money
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. race — humankind
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bank — of a river
  16. march — the month
  17. bank — for money
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. march — music
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. kid — child

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