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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. march — the month
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. dip — to sink
  8. firm — decided
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. kid — to tease
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. chair — a leader
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. kid — child
  22. firm — steady
  23. branch — a division
  24. chair — to sit on

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