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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: rush · chip · march · straw · fork · bulb · land · lean

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. fork — in a road
  5. march — music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. land — a country
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. land — ground
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lean — thin
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chip — to eat
  22. land — to come down
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rush — hurry

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