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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bulb · last · bank · key · drill · present · mine

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. march — the month
  6. present — a gift
  7. bulb — for light
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. drill — a practice
  14. last — final
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mine — for digging
  20. drill — army training
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — there
  23. bank — for money
  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