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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: coach · content · wake · rock · snap · rule · rush · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. spring — of water
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rule — government
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. snap — to click
  10. rock — a stone
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. content — the amount
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. content — happy
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rock — music
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rule — a law
  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