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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: sharp · rash · deal · lash · wound · rush · field · drill

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. drill — the tool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. drill — army training
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. field — farmland
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wound — an injury
  20. field — a subject
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. field — for sport
  24. sharp — clever

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