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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: rash · wake · spring · pass · mug · trunk · rule · rush

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. pass — a permit
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rule — government
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rule — a law
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rash — a series
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mug — to rob
  20. spring — of water
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. trunk — of a tree

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