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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: can · mate · nail · kick · rest · march · lash · wind

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. march — music
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. can — a tin
  9. kick — in football
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rest — a break
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. can — a tin
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rest — what's left
  22. march — the month
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wind — moving air

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