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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: key · fork · rule · row · rest · vault · snap · march

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rest — a break
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. snap — to click
  5. row — to paddle
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. key — the most important part
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rest — what's left
  10. march — music
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rule — government
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. march — the month
  16. row — a line
  17. fork — in a road
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rule — a law
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rest — what's left
  24. march — the month

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