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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 · key · jam · wake · saw · spell · tube

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. key — for a lock
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. key — in music
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. spell — letters
  16. wake — a trail
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — certain
  20. rush — hurry
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. tube — a container
  24. saw — the tool

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