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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: pound · cabinet · arm · tube · leaves · ruler · pop · wound

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. tube — the underground
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tube — a container
  20. pop — soda
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pop — music
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. ruler — for measuring

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