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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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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: can · root · rule · fork · ruler · snap · hide · spring

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. can — a tin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. spring — of water
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. can — to be able to
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. root — the cause
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. rule — government
  15. fork — in a road
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spring — a coil
  18. can — a tin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spring — the season
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. root — of a word
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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