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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 120 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: rush · stand · lash · chair · key · field · firm · branch

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. branch — a division
  3. key — in music
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. field — for sport
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stand — to bear
  14. firm — decided
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. firm — steady
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. rush — hurry
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. firm — a company
  24. chair — to sit on

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