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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: wake · pop · land · bound · key · rush · present · coach

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rush — hurry
  7. land — a country
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pop — music
  10. present — there
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — in music
  16. present — the time now
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. present — a gift
  19. bound — certain
  20. pop — soda
  21. land — ground
  22. pop — to visit
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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