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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · mouse · degree · rush · current · pop · vault · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. degree — temperature
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. current — happening now
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. vault — a safe
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pop — soda
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. current — of water
  20. degree — an amount
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rule — a law
  23. pop — music
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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