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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: last · row · nail · tube · current · hide · safe · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. last — to go on
  6. row — a line
  7. last — final
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. net — after costs
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. current — happening now
  13. last — finally
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. net — for catching
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tube — a container
  24. row — to paddle

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