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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: last · lash · squash · file · mug · craft · chip · content

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. craft — a skill
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mug — a cup
  5. content — the amount
  6. chip — to eat
  7. last — to go on
  8. craft — boats
  9. squash — to crush
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. last — finally
  14. mug — to rob
  15. last — final
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. squash — the sport
  19. file — a document
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. content — happy
  22. file — a tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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