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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 · track · cabinet · hide · mouse · snap · spring · pit

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spring — of water
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pit — in a race
  14. spring — the season
  15. track — a path
  16. spring — a coil
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. track — a song
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. snap — to click

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