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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: bass · charge · deal · content · rule · rash · snap · trunk

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. charge — in control
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bass — low music
  5. charge — electricity
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. snap — to click
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rule — a law
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rash — a series
  19. content — happy
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. charge — a price
  24. rash — hasty

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