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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: last · net · bound · wake · mark · rush · key · stick

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bound — tied together
  4. net — for catching
  5. wake — a trail
  6. net — after costs
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mark — a trace
  9. last — final
  10. rush — hurry
  11. last — to go on
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. net — in sport
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — in music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bound — certain
  21. key — for a lock
  22. last — finally
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. key — the most important part

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