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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 120 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 · wave · face · bound · season · can · board · wound

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — certain
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. season — of the year
  5. face — part of the head
  6. season — in sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. face — to confront
  9. land — a country
  10. bound — tied together
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. land — ground
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. land — to come down
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bound — obliged
  24. can — to be able to

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