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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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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: prune · bore · firm · hand · mug · stick · pound · lash

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mug — a cup
  3. firm — decided
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mug — a face
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hand — help
  8. firm — steady
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pound — a weight
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mug — to rob
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bore — gave birth

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