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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 · swing · present · plane · perch · coach · rash · vault

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rash — hasty
  3. march — the month
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. present — the time now
  6. swing — to play on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. present — there
  12. rash — a series
  13. vault — a safe
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. march — the month
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. swing — music
  23. march — music
  24. swing — in golf

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