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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: rest · lash · branch · patient · wave · leaves · ground · snap

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. snap — to click
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rest — a break
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. ground — a position
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. branch — a division
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. ground — the earth
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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