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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: rule · current · bound · degree · nail · press · safe · roll

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rule — government
  4. press — newspapers
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bound — obliged
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rule — a law
  10. roll — a cake
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. degree — an amount
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. bound — tied together
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bound — certain
  22. roll — a list
  23. press — to push
  24. nail — for a hammer

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