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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: last · bound · coach · scale · rush · pound · pass · wax

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wax — to grow
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — hurry
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. last — finally
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wax — for sculpting

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