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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: spring · snap · mate · stock · land · rule · rush · mug

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. spring — the season
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. land — a country
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mug — to rob
  10. land — ground
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stock — shares
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mug — a face
  15. snap — to click
  16. mug — a cup
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. land — to come down
  19. stock — goods
  20. rule — government
  21. mate — a partner
  22. spring — of water
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. spring — a coil

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