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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 · rush · jam · last · nail · chip · hand · fan

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. current — electric
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. last — to go on
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. current — of water
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. current — happening now
  22. chip — for betting
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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