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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: chair · object · safe · file · squash · clip · game · lash

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. file — a document
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. file — a line of people
  11. clip — to cut
  12. file — a tool
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. game — a match
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. squash — the sport
  19. object — a thing
  20. game — wild animals
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. chair — a leader
  24. squash — to crush

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