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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · field · mine · dip · snap · charge · chair · bank

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. snap — to click
  3. charge — in control
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bank — of a river
  6. field — farmland
  7. charge — electricity
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. staff — employees
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bank — for money
  13. field — for sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. staff — employees
  16. dip — to sink
  17. chair — a leader
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. charge — a price
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. field — a subject
  22. mine — for digging
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. staff — a stick

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