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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: snap · root · wake · charge · craft · staff · rule · lash

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rule — government
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. root — the cause
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — of a plant
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rule — a law
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. charge — a price

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