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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.

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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: mine · leaves · squash · band · wake · rock · mark · key

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. key — the most important part
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. band — a ring
  13. rock — music
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mine — for digging
  16. band — a music group
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. squash — to crush
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. key — in music

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