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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.

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: rule · key · march · band · ball · mate · plane · lie

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. ball — a great time
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. band — a ring
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. key — in music
  7. lie — to recline
  8. band — a music group
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rule — government
  11. march — music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. march — the month
  15. mate — to breed
  16. ball — a dance
  17. march — the month
  18. rule — a law
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mate — a partner

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