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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: shower · cabinet · mug · rush · ground · bass · bark · mark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bass — low music
  3. mug — a face
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bass — the fish
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. shower — rain
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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