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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: vault · chip · shower · object · prune · plane · swing · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. swing — in golf
  6. march — the month
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chip — to eat
  9. object — to protest
  10. swing — music
  11. march — music
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. object — an aim
  15. swing — to play on
  16. vault — a safe
  17. plane — a tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. chip — for betting
  21. object — a thing
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. prune — the fruit

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