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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: rush · hide · snap · rule · roll · swing · rest · pop

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pop — music
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rule — a law
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pop — soda
  10. swing — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rest — a break
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rush — hurry
  17. roll — a list
  18. swing — to play on
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rule — government
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rush — a thrill

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