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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: jam · content · wave · date · scale · mate · club · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. scale — size or range
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mate — a friend
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. mate — a partner
  8. scale — in music
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. club — a group
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. club — for golf
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. date — the fruit

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