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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bat — the animal
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rule — a law
  11. plane — a tool
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. kick — in football
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. row — a line
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. mine — for digging
  22. key — in music
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bank — for money

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