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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: stand · rash · calf · mate · lash · kid · capital · foot

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. kid — to tease
  4. capital — money
  5. kid — child
  6. mate — a friend
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rash — a series
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. capital — a city
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rash — hasty
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stand — for spectators

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