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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: content · chip · lash · row · staff · pitcher · roll · face

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. roll — a cake
  4. face — to point toward
  5. content — happy
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. face — part of the head
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. chip — to eat
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. face — to confront
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. row — to paddle
  20. staff — a stick
  21. chip — for betting
  22. staff — employees
  23. content — the amount
  24. roll — a list

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