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

Word bank: march · chip · firm · wind · cap · deal · bulb · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. march — the month
  3. chip — to eat
  4. firm — steady
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lean — thin
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lean — to bend
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. march — music
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cap — of ice
  18. deal — to handle
  19. firm — decided
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. march — the month
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. firm — a company

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