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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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468
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. key — the most important part
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wind — moving air
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. chip — to eat
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. key — in music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wind — moving air
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. drill — a practice
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. key — for a lock
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. safe — out of danger

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