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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 120 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: land · squash · wake · lean · current · safe · stand · nail

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. current — electric
  3. lean — thin
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. current — of water
  6. land — a country
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. land — to come down
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. current — happening now

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