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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: march · chair · calf · wake · key · object · plane · lash

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. march — music
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. object — to protest
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. object — a thing
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. key — in music
  12. march — the month
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. object — an aim
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. key — the most important part
  23. march — the month
  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