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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 120 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: face · nail · clip · ruler · key · rule · track · ground

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. track — to keep track
  5. key — for a lock
  6. ground — a position
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rule — government
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. clip — for paper
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. key — in music
  14. track — a path
  15. ground — the earth
  16. track — a song
  17. rule — a law
  18. face — to point toward
  19. clip — a video
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. clip — to cut
  22. face — part of the head
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to confront

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