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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. file — a tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chip — for betting
  6. content — happy
  7. drill — army training
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. root — the cause
  12. content — the amount
  13. root — of a word
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. file — a document
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. root — of a plant
  22. chip — to eat
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. file — a line of people

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