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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: ruler · snap · mug · rule · pop · jam · last · spring

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. snap — to click
  3. last — finally
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spring — a coil
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pop — soda
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. spring — of water
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mug — a face
  12. pop — to visit
  13. last — final
  14. mug — to rob
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rule — government
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rule — a law
  19. last — to go on
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mug — a cup
  23. spring — the season
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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