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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 120 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: nail · trunk · chest · bulb · key · current · race · stick

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bulb — for light
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. race — the arms race
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — of water
  14. race — humankind
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. current — happening now
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. key — in music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. current — electric
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. race — a contest
  24. trunk — of a tree

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