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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. kid — child
  9. rush — hurry
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. kid — to tease
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — a division
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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