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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chest — of your body
  3. file — a tool
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. file — a line of people
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. file — a document
  11. fork — in a road
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. vault — a safe
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chest — a box
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bowl — a football final

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