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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: wave · perch · snap · toast · rule · rush · charge · capital

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — money
  4. charge — a price
  5. rush — hurry
  6. toast — bread
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rule — a law
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. charge — in control
  20. snap — to click
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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