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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · club · lash · saw · bore · drill · wave · spring

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. drill — army training
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. club — a group
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spring — the season
  11. club — for golf
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bore — to tire
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. spring — of water
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. drill — a practice

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