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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · snap · saw · rule · patient · face · rush · wake

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rule — government
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. face — part of the head
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. tube — the underground
  11. snap — to click
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rush — hurry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rule — a law
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — to confront
  24. tube — a container

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