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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: charge · track · chest · can · racket · wound · safe · land

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wound — an injury
  4. chest — a box
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. can — a tin
  7. land — to come down
  8. track — to keep track
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. charge — in control
  11. can — a tin
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. track — a song
  16. land — ground
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chest — of your body
  19. track — a path
  20. charge — a price
  21. land — a country
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. charge — electricity
  24. can — to be able to

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