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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 120 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 · ruler · sharp · mate · spell · pass · rule · drill

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spell — magic
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rule — government
  9. spell — a short time
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. spell — letters
  14. drill — army training
  15. snap — to click
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. drill — the tool
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mate — to breed
  21. sharp — clever
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pass — to spend time

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