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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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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 · lean · board · chip · saw · snap · band · trunk

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. board — a committee
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. snap — to click
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. lean — to bend
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lean — thin
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. board — to get on
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. saw — the tool

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