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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: key · cue · band · saw · wound · board · roll · fan

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. band — a ring
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cue — a hint
  10. saw — the tool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. board — a committee
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cue — for pool
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — a list
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. band — a music group
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. board — to get on
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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