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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 120 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: stem · content · ball · snap · current · rule · lie · wake

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. ball — a great time
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. ball — a dance
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. snap — to click
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. current — of water
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rule — a law

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