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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 116 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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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: band · firm · safe · wake · coach · key · saw · hand

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. key — for a lock
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. firm — a company
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. key — the most important part
  11. firm — decided
  12. hand — help
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wake — a trail
  16. saw — the tool
  17. firm — steady
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. key — in music
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. band — a ring

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