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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: lie · rule · bulb · net · rush · snap · chip · bound

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. snap — to click
  4. rule — government
  5. net — for catching
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bound — certain
  8. rule — a law
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bulb — for light
  11. net — after costs
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rush — hurry
  19. net — in sport
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rush — to hurry

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