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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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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: safe · stand · branch · temple · race · scale · file · cell

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. scale — in music
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. file — a document
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cell — in biology
  14. file — a tool
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stand — to bear
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cell — a phone
  20. scale — size or range
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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