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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 · band · leaves · hand · current · toast · cap · mine

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. current — of water
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. band — a music group
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. toast — bread
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. cap — a hat
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. current — happening now
  16. cap — of ice
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cap — a lid
  19. current — electric
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. jam — a tight spot

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