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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: wave · fine · craft · season · bark · track · leaves · bound

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. craft — boats
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bound — obliged
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bound — tied together
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. track — a path
  15. bark — to shout
  16. fine — high quality
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fine — all right
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. season — of the year
  22. bound — certain
  23. track — a song
  24. wave — of the sea

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