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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: land · current · bound · saw · jam · tube · leaves · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. current — electric
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. land — a country
  8. bound — certain
  9. land — to come down
  10. saw — the tool
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. current — of water
  13. tube — a container
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. current — happening now
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. land — ground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. leaves — of a tree

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