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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: bark · snap · current · pass · chest · rule · tube · fall

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. tube — a container
  2. chest — a box
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. rule — government
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pass — a permit
  18. current — of water
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fall — the season
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fall — to drop
  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