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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 116 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: dip · press · pitcher · content · lash · face · row · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. press — newspapers
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. row — to paddle
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. face — to confront
  10. track — to keep track
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. face — part of the head
  13. content — the amount
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. press — a publisher
  17. track — a song
  18. dip — to sink
  19. row — a line
  20. face — to point toward
  21. content — happy
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. press — to push
  24. lash — an eyelash

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