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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: scale · snap · last · suit · rest · stem · rule · fan

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. suit — clothes
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — in music
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. suit — to fit
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. last — to go on
  11. rest — a break
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. last — finally
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rule — a law
  21. last — final
  22. rest — what's left
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rule — government

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