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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · saw · rule · stem · ruler · hand · track · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. track — a path
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hand — help
  10. rule — a law
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. track — a song
  19. saw — the tool
  20. track — to keep track
  21. key — in music
  22. rule — government
  23. stem — to come from
  24. hand — part of the body

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