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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: cabinet · hide · safe · chip · pop · rule · lash · file

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pop — soda
  3. file — a tool
  4. chip — to eat
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. file — a line of people
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pop — music
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rule — government
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. file — a document
  24. hide — to keep secret

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