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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: last · bark · rash · shower · bass · craft · snap · toast

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. shower — rain
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. toast — bread
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rash — hasty
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. craft — a skill
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. craft — boats
  15. last — finally
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bass — the fish
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rash — a series
  22. bass — low music
  23. snap — to click
  24. shower — to wash

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