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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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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: rule · snap · cabinet · field · bound · rush · present · rest

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. field — a subject
  3. rest — what's left
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. present — the time now
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. field — for sport
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rule — government
  10. present — a gift
  11. rest — a break
  12. present — there
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bound — obliged
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rule — a law
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. field — farmland
  19. bound — tied together
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. snap — to click
  24. bound — certain

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