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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · straw · safe · nail · bat · rest · current · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. current — of water
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. chest — a box
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bat — the animal
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. chest — of your body
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. current — happening now
  16. charge — a price
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. chest — of your body
  22. current — electric
  23. charge — in control
  24. rest — a break

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