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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
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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: safe · trunk · wound · charge · wax · craft · track · clip

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — to grow
  5. track — a song
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. wound — an injury
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. charge — a price
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. clip — a video
  20. craft — a skill
  21. clip — to cut
  22. wound — an injury
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wax — for sculpting

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