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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: safe · cold · object · nail · firm · fan · key · fall

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. firm — steady
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cold — not warm
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fall — the season
  9. firm — a company
  10. cold — an illness
  11. object — a thing
  12. firm — decided
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. key — in music
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fall — to drop
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. object — to protest
  22. fall — to drop
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. object — an aim

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