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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 120 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: press · snap · bass · clip · plane · wake · bank · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wake — a trail
  8. press — to push
  9. bass — the fish
  10. clip — a video
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bark — to shout
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. snap — to click
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. press — a publisher

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