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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: cold · nail · swing · stand · current · safe · shower · club

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. cold — an illness
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. current — happening now
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. club — for golf
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — rain
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. club — for dancing
  20. swing — music
  21. club — a group
  22. cold — not warm
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. current — of water

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