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

Word bank: lash · field · bass · stand · rule · bear · wound · stick

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. field — farmland
  7. rule — a law
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rule — government
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. field — for sport
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — low music
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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