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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 116 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 · lie · dip · ground · hide · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pound — a weight
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. present — the time now
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. ground — the earth
  16. present — there
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ground — a position

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