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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.

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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: tube · rush · band · rash · wake · key · trunk · rest

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. tube — the underground
  5. band — a music group
  6. tube — a container
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rash — hasty
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. rash — a series
  16. band — a ring
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. key — the most important part
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. tube — in a tire

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