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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 · board · bound · ball · content · leaves · current · spring

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. content — the amount
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. current — happening now
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. spring — a coil
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. current — electric
  13. ball — a dance
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. spring — of water
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bound — tied together
  23. spring — the season
  24. current — of water

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