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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.

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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: bass · lie · chip · chest · row · root · content · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. content — the amount
  4. bass — the fish
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. chest — a box
  7. row — a line
  8. root — of a plant
  9. chip — to eat
  10. root — of a word
  11. bass — low music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chip — for betting
  14. content — happy
  15. mug — a face
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mug — to rob
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chest — of your body
  23. root — the cause
  24. lie — to recline

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