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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 116 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: snap · lash · chair · pass · wound · branch · safe · hand

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hand — help
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. chair — a leader
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hand — in cards
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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