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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rest · degree · key · spell · cue · press · leaves

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. band — a music group
  4. key — the most important part
  5. spell — letters
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rest — a break
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. spell — magic
  10. rest — what's left
  11. key — in music
  12. cue — a signal
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cue — for pool
  16. band — a ring
  17. degree — temperature
  18. spell — a short time
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. rest — what's left
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — from a university

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