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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.

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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: march · key · shower · toast · bulb · saw · object · mug

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. object — an aim
  3. key — the most important part
  4. march — the month
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — music
  7. toast — bread
  8. shower — to wash
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. shower — rain
  11. object — to protest
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. object — a thing
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bulb — for light
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. key — in music
  21. march — the month
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mug — a face

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