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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 · mate · bay · ruler · net · land · kick · trunk

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. land — ground
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mate — a partner
  10. net — in sport
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. mate — to breed
  15. key — the most important part
  16. net — for catching
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. net — after costs
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mate — a friend

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