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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: snap · charge · wake · stand · lie · rule · kick · rush

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. snap — to click
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rule — government
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. stand — to bear
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. kick — in football
  19. charge — a price
  20. wake — a trail
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. charge — in control
  23. rush — to hurry
  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