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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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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: drill · kid · lash · rash · racket · bark · wave · deal

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rash — a series
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. kid — child
  19. drill — army training
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. drill — the tool
  23. deal — an agreement
  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