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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
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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: chest · mine · key · last · bulb · fine · march · cabinet

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. chest — a box
  3. last — to go on
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fine — all right
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. key — in music
  14. march — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. march — the month
  19. last — final
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. last — finally
  22. march — the month
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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