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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: key · stand · plane · kid · row · branch · rush · foot

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. branch — a division
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kid — to tease
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. key — in music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. key — the most important part
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. row — a line
  23. kid — child
  24. branch — of a bank

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