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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: arm · land · current · mug · game · safe · charge · chest

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. chest — of your body
  10. game — wild animals
  11. land — to come down
  12. current — happening now
  13. mug — to rob
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. current — electric
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mug — a face
  20. current — of water
  21. mug — a cup
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. charge — in control

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