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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: chip · file · tear · coach · swing · present · toast · arm

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. tear — to rip
  5. present — there
  6. file — a tool
  7. swing — music
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. swing — in golf
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. swing — to play on
  14. file — a line of people
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. present — a gift
  19. toast — bread
  20. tear — from crying
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. present — the time now
  24. tear — from crying

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