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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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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: fork · snap · spell · tear · cabinet · rush · rule · pass

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rush — hurry
  5. spell — magic
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rule — a law
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. tear — to rip
  18. spell — letters
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pass — a permit
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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