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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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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: trunk · wind · root · drill · cue · nail · bulb · pit

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. drill — a practice
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. root — of a word
  8. pit — a hole
  9. drill — army training
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cue — a hint
  13. drill — the tool
  14. root — the cause
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cue — for pool
  23. trunk — of a car
  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