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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 116 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 · lie · cue · drill · content · stick · bulb · cabinet

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. drill — the tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. content — the amount
  11. drill — a practice
  12. content — happy
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cue — a hint
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cue — a signal
  23. drill — army training
  24. key — in music

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