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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. track — a path
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. track — a song
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rule — government
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spring — the season
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bass — the fish
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stand — to bear
  23. spring — of water
  24. rule — a law

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