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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: date · jam · drill · pass · cap · wave · present · lash

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. present — there
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. present — a gift
  12. date — the fruit
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cap — of ice
  17. drill — army training
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cap — a hat
  22. present — the time now
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cap — a lid

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