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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 · mark · coach · board · plane · cold · branch · file

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cold — not warm
  12. board — a committee
  13. mark — a trace
  14. file — a document
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. plane — a tool
  17. branch — a division
  18. mark — a grade
  19. board — to get on
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cold — an illness
  22. vault — a safe
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. board — a flat piece

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