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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bound — certain
  10. ground — the earth
  11. net — in sport
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rash — a series
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. net — for catching
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — after costs
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. rash — hasty
  24. lie — an untruth

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