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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 120 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: ruler · wind · saw · bowl · hide · tube · branch · key

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. branch — a division
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. key — in music
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wind — moving air

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