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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: march · fine · chest · bulb · present · plane · key · mug

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. march — the month
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mug — to rob
  9. key — in music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mug — a cup
  12. fine — high quality
  13. present — a gift
  14. chest — a box
  15. present — the time now
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. key — for a lock
  18. march — music
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. present — there
  22. plane — a tool
  23. march — the month
  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