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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: row · board · trunk · spring · ground · rule · mug · rush

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. board — a committee
  4. ground — a position
  5. spring — the season
  6. board — to get on
  7. spring — of water
  8. row — a line
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mug — a face
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mug — a cup
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rush — hurry

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