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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mate — a partner
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. march — the month
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mate — a friend
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. march — music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pitcher — a jug

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