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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · straw · ground · rule · content · lie · key · mine

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rule — a law
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — government
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. content — the amount
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. key — the most important part
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rash — a series
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. content — happy
  22. lie — to recline
  23. key — for a lock
  24. ground — a position

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