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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 116 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: wound · last · scale · lash · tear · bore · spell · staff

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. last — finally
  5. staff — employees
  6. tear — to rip
  7. wound — an injury
  8. last — final
  9. scale — in music
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bore — to drill
  12. last — to go on
  13. tear — from crying
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. tear — from crying
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bore — to tire
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. staff — employees
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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