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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: swing · chest · stand · hide · fall · charge · track · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fall — the season
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. charge — electricity
  8. track — a path
  9. chest — a box
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fall — to drop
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. charge — a price
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. track — a song
  18. swing — in golf
  19. charge — in control
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stand — to bear
  22. swing — music
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stand — on your feet

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