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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. current — electric
  3. club — a group
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bore — to tire
  7. drill — army training
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bore — to drill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. snap — to click
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. drill — a practice
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wax — to grow

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