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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: field · lash · rule · bass · trunk · face · chip · board

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. face — to confront
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. board — a committee
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. field — for sport
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bass — low music
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. chip — to eat
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. face — part of the head
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bass — the fish
  21. board — to get on
  22. field — a subject
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. field — farmland

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