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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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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: rule · wound · saw · arm · fork · hide · key · bowl

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. key — the most important part
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. key — for a lock
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. key — in music
  24. rule — to rule out

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