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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cell · current · board · dip · plane · trunk · row

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. plane — a tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. row — a line
  9. board — to get on
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. current — of water
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. current — electric
  17. dip — to sink
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. current — happening now
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. row — to paddle
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cell — in biology

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