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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: wake · nail · lash · bore · club · rash · fan · key

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bore — to drill
  6. club — a group
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. club — for golf
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rash — a series
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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