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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 · wake · rush · jam · tear · prune · roll

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. tear — from crying
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wake — a trail
  6. snap — to click
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. roll — a list
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rule — government
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rule — a law
  17. prune — to trim
  18. roll — a cake
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. rush — hurry
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. tear — from crying

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