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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 116 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: current · craft · safe · bore · rash · key · band · firm

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rash — hasty
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. firm — decided
  8. craft — a skill
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. key — for a lock
  15. current — of water
  16. key — the most important part
  17. band — a ring
  18. key — in music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rash — a series
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. band — a music group
  23. bore — to drill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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