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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: lean · bulb · firm · race · march · arm · pop · roll

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. march — music
  3. race — a contest
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lean — to bend
  8. race — the arms race
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. pop — music
  12. march — the month
  13. firm — a company
  14. roll — a cake
  15. march — the month
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pop — soda
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bulb — for light
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. race — humankind
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bulb — for light

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