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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: rush · bound · chest · spell · net · toast · can · mate

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. net — in sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mate — to breed
  7. chest — of your body
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. net — after costs
  11. chest — a box
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bound — obliged
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. spell — letters
  16. mate — a friend
  17. net — for catching
  18. mate — a partner
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bound — certain
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. can — a tin
  24. toast — bread

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