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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 120 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: land · swing · chair · foot · safe · lash · charge · spell

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. charge — a price
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. land — ground
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. spell — letters
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. spell — magic
  13. charge — electricity
  14. swing — music
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. land — a country
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. charge — in control
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. swing — to play on
  22. spell — a short time
  23. land — to come down
  24. swing — in golf

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