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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: rule · snap · bank · temple · bore · rush · wind · mug

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bank — for money
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bank — for money
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. wind — moving air
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wind — moving air

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