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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · last · bound · wind · chip · leaves · jam · roll

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bound — obliged
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. chip — for betting
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. last — final
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. last — to go on
  13. chip — to eat
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bound — tied together
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bound — certain
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wind — moving air
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. roll — a list
  24. wind — moving air

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