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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 120 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 · march · club · tube · calf · wave · mug · arm

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mug — a face
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. march — the month
  14. mug — a cup
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tube — the underground
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. march — the month
  21. club — for dancing
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. march — music
  24. tube — a container

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