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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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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: tube · wake · season · swing · trunk · bound · current · rule

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rule — government
  4. bound — certain
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rule — a law
  13. current — happening now
  14. bound — obliged
  15. season — of the year
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. swing — music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. tube — a container
  22. swing — to play on
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — 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