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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: roll · nail · wake · trunk · rule · arm · hide · lash

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rule — government
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. roll — a list
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. roll — a cake
  21. rule — a law
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wake — a trail

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