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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · bulb · racket · wax · rash · lash · bore · spring

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. spring — of water
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rash — a series
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. racket — for tennis

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