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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 116 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: snap · net · kick · bay · bark · hand · mark · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bark — to shout
  4. kick — in football
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. net — for catching
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. snap — to click
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mark — a grade
  17. net — after costs
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. net — in sport
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bay — a horse colour

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