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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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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: arm · fine · mug · safe · coach · fork · chip · file

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mug — a face
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mug — to rob
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fine — all right
  18. file — a document
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. file — a tool
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fork — in a road

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