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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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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: squash · staff · march · cap · arm · club · patient · wave

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. club — for dancing
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. club — a group
  7. march — the month
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. staff — employees
  12. cap — a hat
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. club — for golf
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cap — a lid
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. staff — employees
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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