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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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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: firm · snap · branch · game · object · wound · mate · lash

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. firm — decided
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. firm — steady
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mate — a friend
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. branch — a division
  14. object — a thing
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. object — to protest
  17. snap — to click
  18. firm — a company
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. object — an aim
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mate — to breed

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