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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: coach · bark · rash · cell · lash · date · tube · toast

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. date — the fruit
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cell — a phone
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. toast — bread
  24. tube — a container

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