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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: nail · safe · row · march · clip · chip · root · plane

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. clip — a video
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. row — to paddle
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. clip — to cut
  9. root — of a plant
  10. plane — a tool
  11. march — the month
  12. root — of a word
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. march — the month
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. root — the cause
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. row — a line
  22. clip — for paper
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. nail — on a finger

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