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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 · saw · tear · shower · jam · bass · nail · bark

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. shower — rain
  5. plane — a tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. tear — from crying
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. saw — the tool
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bark — to shout
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tear — from crying
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bass — low music
  24. plane — in geometry

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