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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — the most important part
  4. staff — employees
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fall — to drop
  7. key — for a lock
  8. staff — a stick
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. key — in music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. staff — employees
  19. cue — a signal
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fall — the season
  24. rule — a law

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