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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rule · shower · cell · fork · rush · pop · safe

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pop — soda
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. current — of water
  7. pop — music
  8. cell — in biology
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rule — government
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pop — to visit
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. shower — rain
  23. rule — a law
  24. safe — a strongbox

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