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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: shower · ruler · bound · wound · craft · arm · bay · chair

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. craft — a skill
  8. shower — to wash
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. craft — boats
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. shower — rain
  20. bound — certain
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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