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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: last · net · wake · rush · coach · bulb · pound · hide

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. last — final
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. net — for catching
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. net — in sport
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. last — to go on
  13. wake — a trail
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. last — finally
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. net — after costs

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