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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 120 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: chip · mine · ground · staff · rest · bulb · perch · wax

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ground — crushed
  3. staff — employees
  4. bulb — for light
  5. staff — a stick
  6. chip — for betting
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. ground — the earth
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rest — a break
  24. ground — a position

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