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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: last · shower · mate · lash · club · mug · drill · date

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mug — a cup
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mug — to rob
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. last — to go on
  8. date — the fruit
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mate — a partner
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. club — a group
  14. mate — to breed
  15. last — finally
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. mug — a face
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. last — final

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