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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
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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: field · nail · season · face · bulb · mine · craft · chair

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. field — a subject
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. face — part of the head
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mine — for digging
  10. face — to point toward
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. field — farmland
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bulb — for light
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. chair — a leader
  19. face — to confront
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. field — for sport
  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