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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: wave · craft · ball · date · lean · bound · shower · bark

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lean — to bend
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bound — certain
  14. craft — boats
  15. bound — obliged
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ball — a dance
  22. craft — a skill
  23. shower — rain
  24. lean — thin

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