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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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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: nail · band · safe · key · firm · temple · racket · chest

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. band — a ring
  10. key — the most important part
  11. chest — of your body
  12. firm — steady
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. firm — a company
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. firm — decided
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. temple — side of the head

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