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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: hide · plane · coach · bound · pound · bulb · rush · perch

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. perch — the fish
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bound — obliged
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bound — certain
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bound — tied together

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