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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · arm · nail · hand · shower · chair · stick · march

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. march — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — the month
  9. chair — a leader
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. shower — rain
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hand — help
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. shower — to wash
  24. chair — a professorship

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