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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bound · safe · craft · leaves · coach · clip · plane

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bound — obliged
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. craft — boats
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. clip — a video
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bound — certain
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bound — tied together
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. clip — to cut
  22. plane — a tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. clip — for paper

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