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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: current · nail · chair · degree · jam · rush · safe · saw

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. degree — from a university
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. current — of water
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. degree — temperature
  7. chair — a leader
  8. degree — an amount
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. current — happening now
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. current — electric
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rush — hurry
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. nail — on a finger

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