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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · rest · field · fan · staff · present · bulb · chair

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rest — a break
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. field — for sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. staff — employees
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bulb — for light
  9. present — the time now
  10. mine — for digging
  11. staff — employees
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. field — a subject
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. field — farmland
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. staff — a stick
  22. chair — a leader
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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