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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: mug · mouse · bass · wound · shower · plane · bark · clip

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wound — an injury
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. clip — to cut
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. shower — rain
  10. bass — low music
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a face
  17. clip — a video
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. shower — to wash
  23. clip — for paper
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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