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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: key · kick · mine · mate · ruler · hand · rock · rest

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hand — help
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rest — a break
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. kick — in football
  10. key — in music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. key — for a lock
  13. hand — in cards
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mine — for digging
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rock — music

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