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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 120 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 · rush · chest · temple · snap · current · ruler · season

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. rule — a law
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rush — hurry
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. current — happening now
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chest — a box
  11. season — in sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. season — of the year
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. chest — of your body
  19. current — of water
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rule — government
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. current — electric
  24. temple — a place of worship

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