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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: straw · safe · temple · craft · swing · tear · track · key

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. key — the most important part
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. tear — from crying
  5. swing — music
  6. key — in music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. craft — boats
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. craft — a skill
  13. key — for a lock
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. swing — in golf
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. swing — to play on
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tear — from crying
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. track — to keep track
  23. tear — to rip
  24. track — a song

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