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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: jam · spell · clip · chest · fine · current · nail · safe

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spell — letters
  10. current — electric
  11. chest — a box
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. clip — a video
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — happening now
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. jam — in traffic

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