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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.

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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: band · rash · bulb · face · staff · ground · mug · chip

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ground — a position
  5. staff — a stick
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rash — a series
  11. face — to point toward
  12. band — a ring
  13. ground — crushed
  14. staff — employees
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mug — a cup
  17. face — to confront
  18. staff — employees
  19. bulb — for light
  20. band — a music group
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mug — a face
  24. ground — the earth

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