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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: snap · date · rule · fan · chip · nail · wake · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. snap — to click
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — music
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. date — the fruit
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rule — a law
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rule — government
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rule — to rule out

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