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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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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: cue · board · lash · rush · trunk · rule · wound · pitcher

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. board — a committee
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. cue — a hint
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cue — a signal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rule — government
  22. board — to get on
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rush — a thrill

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