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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 116 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: rule · snap · lean · suit · race · rock

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. lean — thin
  4. race — humankind
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. suit — clothes
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rule — a law
  11. suit — to fit
  12. race — a contest
  13. suit — in cards
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rule — to rule out

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