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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.

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: spring · calf · arm · ruler · wound · date · tube · key

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spring — a coil
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. spring — the season
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. key — in music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spring — of water
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. date — the fruit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. date — on the calendar

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