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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: ruler · calf · bark · spring · arm · wound · pit · patient

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. spring — of water
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spring — a coil
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wound — an injury
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spring — the season
  21. pit — in a race
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. calf — a young animal

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