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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: ground · drill · pound · lie · stick · bound · lash · prune

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pound — a weight
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bound — obliged
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bound — certain
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. lash — an eyelash

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