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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: band · rock · file · wake · key · game · mouse · saw

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — a match
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rock — music
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. file — a document
  13. key — in music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. saw — the tool
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. key — for a lock
  21. band — a music group
  22. game — wild animals
  23. key — the most important part
  24. band — a ring

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