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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
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: ground · plane · stock · key · branch · file · hide · hand

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. hand — in cards
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ground — the earth
  6. stock — shares
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. file — a line of people
  9. plane — a tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. branch — a division
  14. key — for a lock
  15. file — a tool
  16. stock — goods
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. ground — a position
  20. hand — help
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. file — a document
  24. ground — crushed

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