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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: cue · band · tube · face · net · wake · lean · key

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cue — a hint
  4. key — in music
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. face — to point toward
  9. net — for catching
  10. cue — for pool
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. net — in sport
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. band — a music group
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. net — after costs
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. band — a ring
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lean — thin
  24. key — the most important part

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