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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: staff · snap · track · key · mine · wake · band · rush

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. track — a song
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mine — for digging
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. staff — employees
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wake — a trail
  10. snap — to click
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. band — a music group
  16. track — a path
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. band — a ring
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. key — in music
  24. track — to keep track

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