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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 120 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 · lash · calf · mark · coach · bowl · pound · straw

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pound — a weight
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mark — a grade
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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