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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
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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: net · cold · pound · hide · rush · bowl

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. net — after costs
  3. cold — an illness
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. net — for catching
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. net — in sport
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rush — to hurry

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