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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · vault · kick · file · chip · rule

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. 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 — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. file — a tool
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rule — a law
  10. file — a document
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rule — government
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. kick — in football
  17. rash — a series
  18. 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