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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lie · staff · coach · hide · mate · pound · wake · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. staff — employees
  8. pound — a weight
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. staff — employees
  12. pop — music
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pop — to visit
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pound — to hit hard

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