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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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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: fan · lie · saw · roll · land · key · current · rule

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. current — happening now
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. saw — the tool
  8. roll — a list
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. current — of water
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rule — a law
  13. key — in music
  14. rule — government
  15. key — the most important part
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. saw — the tool
  19. current — electric
  20. land — ground
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. lie — an untruth

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