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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: face · staff · chair · content · temple · coach · squash · mark

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. content — the amount
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. squash — to crush
  4. face — to point toward
  5. staff — employees
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mark — a trace
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. content — happy
  14. chair — a leader
  15. squash — the sport
  16. face — part of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mark — a grade
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. face — to confront
  23. content — videos and posts
  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