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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.

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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: rest · rush · board · field · nail · lash · ruler · trunk

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. field — for sport
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. field — farmland
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. field — a subject
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rest — a break
  21. rush — hurry
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. board — a committee
  24. lash — to lash out

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