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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
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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 · nail · track · season · charge · arm · content · tear

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. charge — electricity
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. track — a path
  6. charge — a price
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. track — to keep track
  9. content — happy
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — a song
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. charge — in control
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. content — the amount
  22. tear — from crying
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. season — of the year

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