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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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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. key — in music
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. staff — employees
  6. key — for a lock
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. staff — employees
  12. rule — government
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. staff — a stick
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chest — a box
  24. calf — a young animal

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