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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: hand · rash · march · calf · date · arm · nail · club

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rash — a series
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. club — for dancing
  8. march — music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rash — hasty
  11. hand — in cards
  12. club — a group
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. march — the month
  16. club — for golf
  17. march — the month
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hand — help

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