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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 · ruler · rash · lash · wound · wind · chair · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. chair — a leader
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rash — a series
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wind — to turn a key

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