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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 116 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: cold · key · rule · staff · racket · dip · last · bore

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rule — government
  4. last — finally
  5. bore — to drill
  6. key — for a lock
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rule — a law
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cold — an illness
  11. staff — employees
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. last — to go on
  15. staff — employees
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. last — final
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bore — to tire
  21. staff — a stick
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. cold — not warm

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