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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: key · deal · trunk · last · bulb · drill · cue · present

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. drill — a practice
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. present — there
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bulb — for light
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. bulb — for light
  15. key — in music
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. drill — army training
  19. deal — to handle
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. drill — the tool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. last — final

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