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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: wave · lash · temple · last · drill · pound · spring · ruler

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. spring — the season
  6. drill — a practice
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. spring — a coil
  14. last — to go on
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. last — final
  17. drill — army training
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spring — of water

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