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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: firm · plane · degree · branch · lean · field · stand · cell

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. field — for sport
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. firm — a company
  7. field — a subject
  8. lean — thin
  9. firm — decided
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. branch — a division
  13. degree — an amount
  14. lean — to bend
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stand — to bear
  17. firm — steady
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. plane — a tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cell — a phone
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lean — to rest against

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