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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 · straw · plane · land · trunk · rush · current · net

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. current — happening now
  6. rush — hurry
  7. land — a country
  8. current — of water
  9. land — ground
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. current — electric
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. land — to come down
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. net — in sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. plane — in geometry

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