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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: stand · rest · rule · spell · snap · staff · lash · game

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. snap — to click
  3. spell — magic
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. game — a match
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rest — a break
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rule — government
  16. staff — a stick
  17. game — wild animals
  18. staff — employees
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rule — a law
  22. spell — letters
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rest — what's left

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