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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
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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: date · wax · current · snap · branch · mouse · lash · cabinet

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. branch — a division
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. current — electric
  15. snap — to click
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. date — the fruit
  22. current — happening now
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. current — of water

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