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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: safe · current · scale · clip · press · firm · chest · rule

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. current — of water
  3. firm — a company
  4. scale — size or range
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rule — government
  7. clip — for paper
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. press — newspapers
  10. current — happening now
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. firm — steady
  15. clip — a video
  16. press — to push
  17. firm — decided
  18. chest — a box
  19. clip — to cut
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. scale — in music
  22. rule — a law
  23. current — electric
  24. safe — out of danger

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