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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: march · nail · patient · cap · game · rash · wave · arm

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rash — a series
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. game — a match
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. march — the month
  19. rash — hasty
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cap — of ice
  23. march — music
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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