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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: snap · pound · coach · race · wave · rule · face · current

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. race — a contest
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. face — to confront
  6. current — electric
  7. face — part of the head
  8. current — of water
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. pound — a weight
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. race — humankind
  13. rule — a law
  14. race — the arms race
  15. current — happening now
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. snap — to click
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. face — to point toward
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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