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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 120 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: bound · rush · net · key · kick · lash · chest · mine

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. kick — in football
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. net — for catching
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bound — certain
  15. chest — a box
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. chest — of your body
  20. key — in music
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mine — belonging to me

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