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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: plane · bear · snap · rest · wave · object · roll · cabinet

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. object — to protest
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. object — an aim
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. roll — a list
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rest — a break
  17. object — a thing
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. plane — a tool

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