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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 120 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 · file · stick · mine · tear · charge · safe · trunk

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. file — a document
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. charge — in control
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. file — a tool
  17. charge — a price
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. file — a line of people
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. charge — electricity
  24. trunk — of a car

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