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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.

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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: coach · scale · cue · rash · net · bore · rush · wave

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bore — to tire
  8. net — in sport
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. net — after costs
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. net — for catching
  24. bore — to drill

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