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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: drill · lash · kick · pound · race · bank · deal · straw

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bank — of a river
  5. race — a contest
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. race — the arms race
  8. drill — army training
  9. bank — for money
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bank — for money
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. race — humankind
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. kick — in football
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. drill — the tool

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