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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: key · mine · race · lash · deal · pop · pound · squash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. key — the most important part
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pop — to visit
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pop — music
  11. key — in music
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pound — a weight
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. squash — the sport
  19. race — a contest
  20. squash — to crush
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pop — soda

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