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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: cap · snap · rush · march · rule · cue · patient · club

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. club — for dancing
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cap — a hat
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. march — the month
  11. rule — government
  12. club — a group
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cue — for pool
  17. march — the month
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cap — a lid
  20. club — for golf
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cap — of ice
  23. march — music
  24. snap — to click

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