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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: jam · leaves · band · mine · bank · current · wake · drill

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mine — for digging
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. current — electric
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bank — for money
  11. current — happening now
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bank — for money
  15. band — a music group
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. drill — army training
  20. current — of water
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bank — of a river
  23. band — a ring
  24. drill — the tool

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