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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: jam · pound · tear · rest · hide · mouse · rash · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rest — a break
  16. tear — to rip
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. coach — a trainer

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