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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.

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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: wind · temple · safe · key · wake · pit · nail · rash

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rash — hasty
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pit — in a race
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. key — in music
  24. rash — a series

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