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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: rule · deal · cell · hide · nail · date · bark · lash

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cell — a phone
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. rule — government
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — a law
  19. deal — to handle
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cell — in biology
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — 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