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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 116 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cell — in biology
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. suit — to fit
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cell — a phone

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