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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: present · rush · roll · charge · rock · lie · snap · plane

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. charge — in control
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. roll — a cake
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rock — a stone
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. present — there
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. present — a gift
  16. lie — to recline
  17. present — the time now
  18. charge — a price
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. charge — electricity
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. snap — to click

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