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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: rule · hand · cue · key · kid · nail · fall · rock

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. hand — in cards
  5. key — the most important part
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. fall — to drop
  9. kid — child
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rule — government
  16. fall — the season
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — help
  20. rock — music
  21. key — in music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cue — a signal

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