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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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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: ball · content · lash · mate · wave · cabinet · row · date

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. content — happy
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mate — a friend
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ball — a dance
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. date — the fruit
  24. cabinet — ministers

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