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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: cell · wave · stick · march · nail · arm · hand · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. firm — steady
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cell — a phone
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. firm — a company
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. march — the month
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. hand — help
  19. march — the month
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. march — music
  24. arm — a part of something

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