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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: wound · coach · wave · lie · stock · last · can · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. last — to go on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. last — final
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. last — finally
  21. can — a tin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stock — goods

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