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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 · ruler · row · arm · straw · wound · rule · rush

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. row — to paddle
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. row — a line
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rush — hurry
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. key — the most important part
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wound — an injury
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. arm — a part of something

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