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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: bore · net · coach · pound · club · lash · wax · pop

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. net — for catching
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pop — to visit
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bore — to tire
  9. club — for golf
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pop — music
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. net — in sport
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. club — a group
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pop — soda
  24. net — after costs

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