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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: jam · snap · lash · bank · kid · march · pound · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bank — for money
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. march — the month
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. kid — child
  12. bank — of a river
  13. race — the arms race
  14. march — music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bank — for money
  20. march — the month
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. race — humankind
  24. snap — to click

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