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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: march · vault · shower · fan · perch · nail · safe · coach

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. march — music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. shower — to wash
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. march — the month
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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