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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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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. hand — help
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rule — government
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. key — in music
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wake — a trail
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rule — a law
  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