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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.

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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: temple · last · straw · nail · key · racket · spring · net

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. last — final
  6. key — for a lock
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spring — of water
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. key — in music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. key — the most important part
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spring — a coil
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — for catching
  21. last — finally
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. last — to go on

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