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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 · branch · coach · pop · rock · march · plane · shower

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. vault — a safe
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rock — music
  6. march — the month
  7. pop — soda
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. march — music
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pop — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. branch — a division
  17. shower — to wash
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pop — to visit
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. shower — rain
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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