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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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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 · charge · sharp · coach · perch · lean · branch · last

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. last — final
  5. charge — a price
  6. sharp — clever
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — electricity
  12. march — the month
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. perch — the fish
  17. lean — thin
  18. charge — in control
  19. lean — to bend
  20. march — music
  21. branch — a division
  22. last — finally
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. last — to go on

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