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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mate · spring · bass · last · lie · snap · bound

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. lie — to recline
  2. spring — a coil
  3. snap — to click
  4. spring — of water
  5. bound — certain
  6. mate — a partner
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — to go on
  9. bass — low music
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. last — final
  12. bound — obliged
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. last — finally
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mate — to breed
  21. spring — the season
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mate — a friend
  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