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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · deal · trunk · key · rest · jam · mark · spell

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bulb — for light
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mark — a trace
  7. spell — letters
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rest — what's left
  10. key — in music
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. key — the most important part
  13. spell — magic
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rest — what's left
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. deal — to handle
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. spell — a short time

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