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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: object · snap · shower · lash · mug · patient · safe · branch

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mug — a face
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. snap — to click
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. object — a thing
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. shower — rain
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. branch — a division
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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