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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.

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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: land · rock · bulb · ruler · plane · clip · stem · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. land — ground
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. land — a country
  10. board — a committee
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. clip — to cut
  17. rock — a stone
  18. clip — a video
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. rock — music
  21. plane — a tool
  22. land — to come down
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bulb — for light

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