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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 · jam · lean · pound · hide · key · pit · coach

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pound — a weight
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. key — for a lock
  7. last — to go on
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lean — thin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. last — finally
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. last — final
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. key — in music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pit — a hole
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. jam — in traffic

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