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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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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: drill · ruler · key · arm · rest · game · leaves · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. key — for a lock
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rest — a break
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. key — in music
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wound — an injury
  20. game — a match
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. arm — part of the body

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