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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: bass · plane · nail · stock · shower · can · hide · snap

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stock — goods
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. snap — to click
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. can — a tin
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stock — shares
  14. shower — rain
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. can — a tin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. shower — to wash
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bass — the instrument

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