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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: temple · cold · bass · bay · track · key · safe · land

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. track — a path
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. track — a song
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. land — a country
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bass — low music
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. land — ground
  21. key — in music
  22. cold — not warm
  23. track — to keep track
  24. land — to come down

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