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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · spring · rash · snap · suit · temple · net · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. snap — to click
  5. net — after costs
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. spring — of water
  9. suit — to fit
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. suit — clothes
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. rule — a law
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. suit — in cards
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. spring — the season
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. straw — dry grass

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