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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: key · pit · present · arm · bulb · lie · fall · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. drill — army training
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. present — a gift
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lie — to recline
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fall — the season
  22. bulb — for light
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bulb — for light

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