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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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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: foot · wake · pound · net · hide · scale · last · rest

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. last — finally
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. last — to go on
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. scale — size or range
  8. net — after costs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. last — final
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. net — in sport
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. scale — in music
  23. net — for catching
  24. hide — animal skin

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