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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 · board · key · roll · pop · last · plane

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pop — soda
  3. plane — a tool
  4. last — final
  5. key — for a lock
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. last — finally
  8. pop — music
  9. roll — a cake
  10. hand — help
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pop — to visit
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. hand — in cards
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rule — a law
  19. roll — a list
  20. last — to go on
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. board — a committee
  24. rule — government

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