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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: saw · key · arm · bound · firm · object · band · wind

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. object — an aim
  3. firm — a company
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. band — a ring
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. band — a music group
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wind — moving air
  13. object — to protest
  14. bound — certain
  15. firm — decided
  16. saw — the tool
  17. object — a thing
  18. bound — tied together
  19. firm — steady
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. band — a rubber band

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