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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. key — for a lock
  3. land — to come down
  4. hand — help
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mark — a grade
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. file — a document
  9. key — the most important part
  10. suit — clothes
  11. land — a country
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. suit — in cards
  20. key — in music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. land — ground

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