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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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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: race · straw · key · snap · fine · craft · track · nail

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. track — a song
  4. fine — high quality
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. craft — boats
  7. race — a contest
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fine — all right
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. race — the arms race
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. track — a path
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. track — to keep track
  21. race — humankind
  22. key — for a lock
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fine — a penalty

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