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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: season · wave · charge · current · root · bound · lean · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bound — obliged
  3. current — electric
  4. season — of the year
  5. current — happening now
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. charge — a price
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. root — of a plant
  13. lean — thin
  14. root — the cause
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bound — tied together
  17. root — of a word
  18. band — a music group
  19. bound — certain
  20. season — in sport
  21. current — of water
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. charge — in control
  24. wave — with your hand

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