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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · mug · date · patient · club · file · mouse · jam

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mug — a cup
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. club — a group
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. date — the fruit
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. file — a document
  17. mug — a face
  18. file — a tool
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mug — to rob
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mouse — for a computer

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