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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 120 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: branch · chair · plane · fine · vault · cap · coach · mate

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mate — a partner
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fine — high quality
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chair — a leader
  15. branch — a division
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fine — all right
  23. mate — to breed
  24. plane — an aircraft

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