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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: trunk · rush · leaves · chip · clip · plane · calf · safe

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. clip — a video
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. clip — for paper
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. plane — a tool
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rush — hurry
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. chip — to eat
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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