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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: drill · root · mate · jam · date · lash · snap · mug

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mate — a friend
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. root — of a plant
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mate — a partner
  13. root — the cause
  14. snap — to click
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mug — a face
  18. root — of a word
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. date — the fruit
  23. mate — to breed
  24. drill — army training

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