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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: current · deal · coach · rule · hand · key · mine · trunk

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. hand — in cards
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mine — for digging
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. hand — help
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. current — happening now
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. current — of water
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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