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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · mug · land · bass · current · calf · fall · tube

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. current — happening now
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bound — certain
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. current — of water
  7. bass — low music
  8. land — a country
  9. bound — tied together
  10. land — ground
  11. bass — the fish
  12. current — electric
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. tube — a container
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bound — obliged
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fall — the season
  20. tube — the underground
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mug — to rob
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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