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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: stand · chest · wave · lean · plane · track · key · branch

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. chest — of your body
  4. key — in music
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. track — to keep track
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lean — thin
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. chest — a box
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. track — a path
  19. plane — a tool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. key — for a lock
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. track — a song
  24. lean — to bend

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