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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 · wound · leaves · band · jam · current · rush · prune

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. band — a ring
  5. current — happening now
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wound — an injury
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. current — electric
  21. prune — to trim
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. current — of water
  24. band — a rubber band

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