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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: face · rule · coach · saw · key · hide · lie · can

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rule — a law
  6. key — for a lock
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. key — in music
  10. face — to confront
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — the tool
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lie — to recline
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. face — part of the head
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. rule — government

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