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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: march · mate · pound · rest · lash · chair · foot · lean

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. march — the month
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mate — to breed
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. march — music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mate — a friend
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rest — a break
  18. mate — a partner
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. lean — thin
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. chair — a leader
  24. march — the month

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