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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: bank · net · trunk · hide · cue · stock · lash · rule

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — for catching
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rule — government
  8. bank — for money
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. net — after costs
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cue — for pool
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stock — shares
  22. net — in sport
  23. stock — goods
  24. trunk — of a tree

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