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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. vault — a safe
  5. chip — to eat
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. file — a line of people
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. snap — to click
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. branch — a division
  19. file — a document
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. file — a tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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