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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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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: game · row · pass · rule · calf · rash · lash · arm

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rule — government
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rule — a law
  22. game — a match
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rash — a series

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