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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 120 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: bore · fork · rush · mate · club · tear · firm · lash

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rush — hurry
  3. tear — from crying
  4. firm — decided
  5. bore — to drill
  6. firm — a company
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. firm — steady
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. lash — to lash out

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