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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: ruler · last · kick · lash · pop · chest · foot · march

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. lash — an eyelash
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. last — finally
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chest — of your body
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. kick — in football
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pop — soda
  14. march — the month
  15. pop — music
  16. chest — a box
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. last — to go on
  19. pop — to visit
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. march — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. last — final
  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