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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: wound · nail · firm · fork · degree · safe · current · rule

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rule — a law
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. current — of water
  6. firm — decided
  7. wound — an injury
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. degree — from a university
  10. current — electric
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. firm — steady
  15. fork — in a road
  16. firm — a company
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. degree — temperature
  21. rule — government
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. current — happening now
  24. fork — a garden tool

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