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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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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: wave · bore · kid · lash · lie · current · drill · bound

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bound — certain
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. current — happening now
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bore — to tire
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. drill — army training
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. drill — the tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. drill — a practice

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