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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: nail · charge · track · mouse · perch · leaves · safe · rash

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — a path
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rash — hasty
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. track — a song
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. track — to keep track
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rash — a series
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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