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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: stem · roll · vault · rock · bark · plane · board · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. board — to get on
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. board — a committee
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. vault — a safe
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rock — a stone
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — for paper

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