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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · key · band · wound · wake · ground · cue · patient

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cue — for pool
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wake — a trail
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ground — a position
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wound — an injury
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. key — in music
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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