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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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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: pound · lash · squash · deal · toast · firm · snap · scale

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. firm — steady
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. firm — decided
  7. pound — a weight
  8. deal — to handle
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. squash — to crush
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. firm — a company
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. squash — the sport
  19. toast — bread
  20. scale — in music
  21. snap — to click
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. lash — an eyelash

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