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

Word bank: key · fork · mate · tear · mug · rule

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mug — a face
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rule — a law
  9. key — the most important part
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mate — a partner
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rule — government
  17. mug — a cup
  18. tear — from crying

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