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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. key — the most important part
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. key — in music
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cell — in biology
  8. chest — a box
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rule — a law
  11. cue — for pool
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cue — a signal
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chest — of your 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