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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: tear · lash · wake · bore · board · nail · key · bear

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. bore — to drill
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tear — to rip
  24. key — in music

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