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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: safe · current · wind · track · land · chest · shower · nail

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. chest — a box
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. track — a path
  5. chest — of your body
  6. land — to come down
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. current — of water
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. current — electric
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wind — moving air
  17. shower — to wash
  18. current — happening now
  19. shower — rain
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. land — ground

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