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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · rule · lash · bear · face · ball · branch · board

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rule — a law
  5. face — to confront
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rule — government
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. face — part of the head
  12. branch — a division
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bear — the animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bear — the animal
  20. board — to get on
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. ball — a great time
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. board — a flat piece

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