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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 · rule · band · saw · hide · staff · plane · bark

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rule — government
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. key — the most important part
  8. band — a music group
  9. staff — employees
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. staff — employees
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bark — to shout
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. band — a ring
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. staff — a stick
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. plane — a tool

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