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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 116 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 · deal · board · mine · lie · season · rule · stick

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rule — a law
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. season — of the year
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. key — in music
  11. lie — to recline
  12. board — to get on
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. season — in sport
  22. key — for a lock
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mine — belonging to me

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