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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: hide · march · bat · branch · bark · plane · season · coach

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. season — in sport
  5. march — the month
  6. plane — a tool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. branch — a division
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. season — of the year
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bat — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. march — music
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. march — the month
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. hide — to keep secret

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