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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: lash · cabinet · jam · mouse · club · content · temple · pound

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. club — a group
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. club — for dancing
  13. content — the amount
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. club — for golf

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