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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: wind · hide · bark · bay · season · racket · spell · craft

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wind — moving air
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bark — to shout
  8. craft — boats
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. spell — letters
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. craft — a skill
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. season — of the year
  20. wind — moving air
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spell — magic
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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