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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: key · rest · arm · bound · present · lean · wind · sharp

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. key — in music
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rest — what's left
  6. present — a gift
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lean — thin
  11. bound — certain
  12. present — the time now
  13. wind — moving air
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rest — what's left
  16. present — there
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rest — a break
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bound — obliged
  22. key — for a lock
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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