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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · season · hide · bound · cue · rest · wake · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. net — for catching
  3. rest — what's left
  4. season — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. season — of the year
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rest — a break
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — certain
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wake — a trail
  24. net — in sport

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