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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: wave · field · shower · safe · clip · charge · swing · firm

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. charge — electricity
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. field — farmland
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. swing — to play on
  14. firm — steady
  15. clip — to cut
  16. field — for sport
  17. shower — rain
  18. firm — a company
  19. clip — a video
  20. shower — to wash
  21. swing — in golf
  22. clip — for paper
  23. swing — music
  24. firm — decided

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