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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · cold · fan · rush · rule · charge · stand · spring

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. snap — to click
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. charge — in control
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — of water
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cold — not warm
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cold — an illness
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. charge — a price
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rule — a law
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fan — a supporter

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