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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: lash · racket · arm · bound · race · calf · drill · swing

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — obliged
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. swing — in golf
  11. race — the arms race
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bound — tied together
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. race — humankind
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bound — certain
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. race — a contest
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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