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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 116 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: safe · cell · mate · lash · chip · file · racket · straw

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. file — a document
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. file — a line of people
  14. chip — for betting
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. file — a tool
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mate — a friend
  24. straw — dry grass

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