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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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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: drill · rush · row · kid · spring · lean · club · lash

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spring — of water
  13. drill — the tool
  14. kid — to tease
  15. row — a line
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lean — to bend
  18. drill — army training
  19. club — a group
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. kid — child
  23. lean — thin
  24. rush — hurry

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