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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 116 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: snap · rush · pound · ruler · rule · scale · content · wave

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. snap — to click
  4. content — the amount
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. scale — in music
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rule — a law
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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