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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 · bulb · chair · spring · mine · face · current · plane

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. face — part of the head
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. current — of water
  6. mine — for digging
  7. staff — a stick
  8. face — to confront
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. current — electric
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. staff — employees
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. spring — of water
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. current — happening now
  21. bulb — for light
  22. face — to point toward
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. staff — employees

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