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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
468
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 · cap · wound · chair · safe · track · nail · trunk

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. swing — to play on
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. cap — a lid
  7. track — a path
  8. cap — a hat
  9. wound — an injury
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. swing — music
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cap — of ice
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wound — an injury
  18. track — to keep track
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. swing — in golf
  22. track — a song
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chair — a leader

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