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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.

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: bear · last · hand · bowl · content · lash · staff · chip

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. staff — employees
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. chip — for betting
  5. staff — employees
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hand — in cards
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. bear — the animal
  14. last — final
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. last — finally
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hand — help
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. staff — a stick

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