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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: firm · roll · rule · snap · wake · rush · plane · bark

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wake — a trail
  5. roll — a list
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. firm — steady
  8. snap — to click
  9. rule — a law
  10. rush — hurry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. firm — decided
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. firm — a company
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rule — government
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. roll — on a roll
  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