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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lean · chip · leaves · firm · cabinet · race · tube · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. firm — decided
  3. march — the month
  4. tube — the underground
  5. march — the month
  6. firm — a company
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. race — the arms race
  9. lean — thin
  10. race — a contest
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. race — humankind
  13. chip — to eat
  14. tube — a container
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. lean — to bend
  18. chip — for betting
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. firm — steady
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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