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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: branch · file · rash · race · bulb · stand · lean · face

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bulb — for light
  3. race — humankind
  4. face — to confront
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. race — a contest
  7. lean — thin
  8. file — a document
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. file — a tool
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. face — to point toward
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. race — the arms race
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rash — a series
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lean — to bend
  23. branch — a division
  24. face — part of the head

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