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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: nail · field · trunk · rule · leaves · lash · ruler · bank

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bank — of a river
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. field — farmland
  6. bank — for money
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. field — for sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rule — government
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bank — for money
  24. rule — a law

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