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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: key · safe · nail · row · rush · net · cell · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. net — after costs
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. net — in sport
  8. row — a line
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. key — the most important part
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. key — for a lock
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. key — in music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cell — a phone
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. row — to paddle
  22. net — for catching
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cell — in a prison

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