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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · ruler · hide · rule · file · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. key — for a lock
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a document
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. key — in music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — a law
  10. file — a tool
  11. key — the most important part
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wind — moving air

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