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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: rule · plane · hand · stick · key · racket · face · saw

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. face — to point toward
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. key — the most important part
  9. hand — help
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. face — to confront
  12. key — in music
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rule — a law
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rule — government
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — an aircraft

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