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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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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 · band · current · chest · bear · kick · rule · nail

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chest — of your body
  7. kick — in football
  8. chest — of your body
  9. band — a music group
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. band — a ring
  17. rule — a law
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. bear — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. current — happening now
  23. chest — a box
  24. rule — government

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