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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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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: drill · pit · pound · tear · lash · wave · chip · rule

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rule — government
  15. drill — army training
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rule — a law

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