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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. file — a tool
  4. key — in music
  5. spring — the season
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rule — government
  10. key — for a lock
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. key — the most important part
  14. file — a line of people
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wind — moving air
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. file — a document
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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