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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 116 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: bark · branch · press · coach · plane · shower · firm · march

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. plane — a tool
  4. march — the month
  5. firm — steady
  6. press — to push
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. march — music
  11. firm — a company
  12. march — the month
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. shower — to wash
  15. branch — a division
  16. firm — decided
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. press — a publisher
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. shower — rain
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bark — to shout

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