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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: rock · fine · chest · safe · current · fall · nail · spring

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fall — the season
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. spring — the season
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chest — a box
  16. spring — a coil
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fine — high quality
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fine — all right
  22. spring — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. fine — a penalty

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