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

Word bank: file · race · mug · chip · mark · foot · arm · clip

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. file — a tool
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. clip — a video
  4. file — a document
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. race — a contest
  11. mug — a face
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mark — a trace
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mug — a cup
  17. race — the arms race
  18. chip — to eat
  19. race — humankind
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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