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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: nail · snap · club · pass · race · season · lash · pound

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. season — in sport
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. race — a contest
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. race — humankind
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pass — a permit
  14. club — for golf
  15. season — of the year
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. race — the arms race
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. club — a group
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lash — to lash out
  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