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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · object · coach · present · drill · wax · vault · stand

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. present — a gift
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. march — music
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — the time now
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stand — to bear
  11. vault — a safe
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. object — to protest
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. object — a thing
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. object — an aim
  21. drill — the tool
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. wax — in the ear

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