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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. key — in music
  3. clip — for paper
  4. fine — high quality
  5. key — for a lock
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fine — all right
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bank — for money
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. plane — a tool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  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