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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.

Make a worksheet

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: row · drill · can · chest · foot · key · file · branch

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. can — a tin
  3. foot — a measure
  4. key — the most important part
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. file — a document
  7. chest — of your body
  8. file — a line of people
  9. row — to paddle
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. drill — army training
  15. can — to be able to
  16. key — for a lock
  17. drill — a practice
  18. row — a line
  19. file — a tool
  20. chest — a box
  21. drill — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. key — in music

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