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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: mine · rule · bear · key · lie · fork · object · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rule — government
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bear — the animal
  9. object — to protest
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rule — a law
  13. object — an aim
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. key — in music
  16. object — a thing
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lie — an untruth

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