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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: safe · board · stem · capital · shower · plane · tube · spell

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. plane — a tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spell — letters
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. spell — a short time
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. board — to get on
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. capital — a city
  18. tube — a container
  19. board — a committee
  20. tube — the underground
  21. spell — magic
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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