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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: rush · snap · rash · plane · chair · rule · nail · ball

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rule — a law
  4. chair — a leader
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rash — a series
  8. plane — a tool
  9. ball — a dance
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a great time
  19. snap — to click
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rule — government
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rule — to rule out
  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