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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: wind · rest · rule · root · snap · mouse

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rest — what's left
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rule — government
  10. wind — moving air
  11. snap — to click
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. root — the cause
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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