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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: key · rule · rash · mine · race · bay · wake · date

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rash — a series
  4. rule — a law
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rash — hasty
  9. race — the arms race
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. race — a contest
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rule — government
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. key — in music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. race — humankind
  24. wake — a trail

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