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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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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: plane · cabinet · branch · can · march · chip · shower · coach

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. shower — rain
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. shower — to wash
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — to be able to
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. march — the month
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. chip — for betting
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. can — a tin
  22. march — the month
  23. can — a tin
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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