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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cold — an illness
  6. firm — steady
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bore — to tire
  9. tear — from crying
  10. firm — a company
  11. tear — to rip
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bore — to drill
  16. firm — decided
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cold — not warm
  24. lash — an eyelash

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