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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · lean · rule · current · cue · land · wind · pop

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. current — happening now
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pop — soda
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pop — music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. current — of water
  10. lean — to bend
  11. land — to come down
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rule — a law
  16. land — a country
  17. cue — a signal
  18. land — ground
  19. current — electric
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lean — thin

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