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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: stock · clip · board · trunk · shower · safe · saw · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. clip — to cut
  3. saw — the tool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. board — a committee
  9. clip — for paper
  10. stock — goods
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. board — to get on
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — shares
  15. clip — a video
  16. shower — to wash
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. shower — rain
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. safe — out of danger

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