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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: wound · charge · pop · coach · nail · lash · cell · hide

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pop — music
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pop — soda
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. charge — electricity
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wound — an injury
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. charge — a price
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. charge — in control
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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