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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: current · plane · leaves · fine · bay · wave · band · cell

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. band — a ring
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. current — electric
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. fine — all right
  12. current — of water
  13. fine — high quality
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. current — happening now
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. band — a music group

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