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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 · wake · pass · hide · clip · rule · rush · drill

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rule — a law
  7. snap — to click
  8. rule — government
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. clip — to cut
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. drill — a practice
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. drill — army training
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wake — a trail
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rule — to rule out

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