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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
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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: roll · bound · key · spell · wound · ruler · land · cabinet

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. land — ground
  4. spell — magic
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wound — an injury
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. land — a country
  10. bound — certain
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. key — in music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spell — letters
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. key — the most important part
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. key — for a lock
  22. roll — a list
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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