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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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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: trunk · bulb · file · stand · ruler · rash · lean · kick

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stand — to bear
  3. file — a document
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lean — thin
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. kick — in football
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bulb — for light
  16. file — a tool
  17. rash — a series
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. file — a line of people
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rash — hasty
  24. kick — a thrill

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