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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: leaves · lie · hand · wave · jam · tube · cap · current

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. current — happening now
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. tube — a container
  11. current — electric
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. current — of water
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. hand — help
  21. lie — to recline
  22. hand — in cards
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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