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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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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: wind · stem · mouse · bass · land · rule · nail · snap

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bass — low music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rule — government
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wind — moving air
  9. land — a country
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. land — ground
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rule — a law
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. snap — to click
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. land — to come down

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