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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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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 · plane · temple · tear · spring · board · clip · key

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rule — government
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. clip — to cut
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rule — a law
  8. key — the most important part
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. key — for a lock
  11. clip — for paper
  12. tear — from crying
  13. spring — of water
  14. tear — to rip
  15. key — in music
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. spring — the season
  18. clip — a video
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. plane — a tool
  22. tear — from crying
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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