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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: calf · lash · cap · lean · row · ruler · land · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. row — a line
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cap — of ice
  7. row — to paddle
  8. march — the month
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cap — a hat
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cap — a lid
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. land — a country
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. march — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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