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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.

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: file · stand · wake · branch · game · chest · bulb · safe

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. chest — of your body
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. file — a line of people
  9. chest — of your body
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bulb — for light
  14. file — a tool
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. file — a document
  20. chest — a box
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stand — to bear

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