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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: kick · rash · bore · lash · wake · tube · capital · foot

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. capital — money
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rash — hasty
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. tube — a container
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. capital — a city

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