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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 · shower · wound · ruler · key · toast · cap · bound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bound — certain
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bound — obliged
  13. shower — to wash
  14. toast — bread
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — rain
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. key — for a lock
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wound — an injury
  23. key — in music
  24. key — the most important part

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