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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: arm · chip · rule · file · plane · cue · vault · branch

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rule — government
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. file — a line of people
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rule — a law
  14. chip — to eat
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cue — for pool
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cue — a signal
  23. branch — a division
  24. rule — to rule out

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