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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: lean · row · wave · field · stand · bass · chip · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lean — thin
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bass — the fish
  5. field — for sport
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. row — a line
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. field — farmland
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. field — a subject
  18. rule — government
  19. bass — low music
  20. lean — to bend
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wave — of the sea

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