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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: date · branch · court · march · drill · vault · lash · can

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. drill — the tool
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. march — music
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. can — a tin
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. can — a tin
  16. court — of a king
  17. vault — a safe
  18. court — of law
  19. can — to be able to
  20. date — the fruit
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. drill — army training
  23. court — for sport
  24. date — on the calendar

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