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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: cell · temple · plane · charge · chip · safe · straw · file

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cell — a phone
  4. charge — in control
  5. file — a document
  6. charge — a price
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. charge — electricity
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cell — in biology
  11. chip — to eat
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chip — for betting
  15. file — a tool
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. file — a line of people
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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