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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: safe · file · mine · coach · lash · rule · arm · chip

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. file — a document
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. chip — for betting
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mine — for digging
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rule — a law
  19. chip — to eat
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rule — government
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. file — a tool
  24. coach — a trainer

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