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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: wound · ruler · board · tear · arm · club

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. club — for dancing
  10. board — a committee
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wound — an injury
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. board — to get on

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