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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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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: rock · deal · coach · lash · stock · roll · cell · chest

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. chest — of your body
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chest — of your body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stock — shares
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chest — a box
  17. roll — a list
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rock — music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stock — goods
  24. lash — to lash out

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