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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: bark · nail · hide · rule · cell · lash · coach · stock

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rule — a law
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bark — to shout
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stock — shares
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods
  19. rule — government
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lash — an eyelash

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