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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 · trunk · rock · clip · prune · plane · fan · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. prune — to trim
  7. clip — for paper
  8. plane — a tool
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. board — a committee
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. prune — to trim
  18. clip — to cut
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. clip — a video
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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