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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: wind · rash · key · cue · can · mate · rock · band

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. band — a ring
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — to breed
  7. key — the most important part
  8. band — a music group
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rash — hasty
  13. key — in music
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rash — a series
  17. cue — for pool
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mate — a friend
  20. wind — moving air
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rock — music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. can — a tin

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