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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.

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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: face · current · chip · mine · staff · branch · board · season

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. staff — employees
  3. season — of the year
  4. branch — a division
  5. staff — a stick
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. face — to confront
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chip — to eat
  11. face — part of the head
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. current — of water
  15. board — to get on
  16. face — to point toward
  17. current — happening now
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. board — a committee
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. season — in sport
  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