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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 · rash · bank · last · file · bulb · fine · rest

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a document
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rest — a break
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bank — for money
  18. file — a tool
  19. last — final
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. bulb — of a plant

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