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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 120 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 · firm · wound · lash · tube · ruler · club · wax

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. club — a group
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. club — for golf
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bore — to tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. tube — the underground
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wax — to grow
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. firm — decided
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wound — an injury
  24. firm — a company

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