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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: pitch · lash · pound · bark · row · lie · bore · wax

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wax — to grow
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. row — a line
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bore — to drill
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pound — for dogs

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