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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: bark · shower · craft · cap · racket · hide · pass · mouse

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cap — of ice
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bark — to shout
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. shower — rain
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. craft — a skill
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. craft — boats
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mouse — the animal

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