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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: board · cell · club · ruler · lash · trunk · calf · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. club — for golf
  8. board — to get on
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. board — a committee
  17. rule — government
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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