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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: hand · stand · key · lie · bulb · cue · drill · ground

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. hand — in cards
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hand — help
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bulb — for light
  8. key — in music
  9. drill — army training
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ground — a position
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stand — to bear
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cue — a signal
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cue — for pool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. key — for a lock

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