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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: rush · spell · pit · mate · rule · toast · pass · snap

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. toast — bread
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. snap — to click
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pit — a hole
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. spell — magic
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pit — in a race
  24. spell — letters

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