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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 120 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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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 · wound · nail · club · safe · chair · arm · ruler

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. charge — in control
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wound — an injury
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. chair — a leader
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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