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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: file · jam · lean · saw · land · roll · bound · tube

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lean — to bend
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. land — ground
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. file — a line of people
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tube — a container
  10. file — a document
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. saw — the tool
  14. land — a country
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. roll — a list
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. file — a tool
  21. roll — a cake
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. lean — thin
  24. tube — the underground

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