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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: lash · nail · cue · bark · court · rule · plane · stock

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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. bark — of a tree
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rule — a law
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stock — shares
  15. plane — a tool
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. court — for sport
  18. bark — to shout
  19. court — of law
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. court — of a king

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