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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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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: lash · jam · bore · patient · row · wave · pound · rash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rash — a series
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rash — hasty
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. row — a line
  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