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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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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: pass · wound · bore · rash · sharp · lash · rush · cold

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cold — an illness
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rush — hurry
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rash — hasty
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rash — a series
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cold — not warm
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. wound — an injury
  24. sharp — exactly

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