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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.

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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bound — certain
  6. chip — for betting
  7. roll — a cake
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. foot — a measure
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hand — help
  19. file — a line of people
  20. vault — a safe
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chip — to eat
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. file — a document

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