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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.

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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: stick · bank · rock · content · perch · chip · face · lash

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. content — the amount
  4. bank — for money
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bank — for money
  12. chip — to eat
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bank — of a river
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. face — to confront
  23. rock — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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