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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. race — a contest
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bank — for money
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. race — the arms race
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bank — for money
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — a practice
  18. deal — to handle
  19. race — humankind
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. bank — of a river
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pound — to hit hard

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