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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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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: pound · firm · game · clip · lash · squash · lie · cabinet

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. firm — decided
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. squash — to crush
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — a video
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. firm — a company
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. game — a match
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. game — wild animals
  21. firm — steady
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cabinet — ministers

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