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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · game · track · safe · toast · wound · trunk · nail

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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. toast — the most admired
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wound — an injury
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. key — the most important part
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — to keep track
  15. game — wild animals
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. toast — bread
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. key — in music
  20. game — a match
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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