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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: board · tube · degree · rush · current · tear · safe · prune

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tear — to rip
  9. degree — an amount
  10. tube — a container
  11. tear — from crying
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. board — a committee
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. prune — to trim
  19. current — happening now
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. current — of water
  23. board — to get on
  24. safe — out of danger

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