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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: arm · march · firm · stick · patient · wave · charge · board

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. march — the month
  7. firm — a company
  8. march — music
  9. board — to get on
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. firm — steady
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. charge — a price
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. march — the month
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. firm — decided
  20. board — a committee
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. charge — in control
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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