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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: mug · stick · chair · craft · bowl · content · lash · chip

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. content — happy
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mug — a face
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. chair — a leader
  21. craft — boats
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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