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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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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: snap · lash · stand · patient · mouse · dip · shower · fan

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. shower — rain
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. dip — to sink
  18. snap — to click
  19. shower — to wash
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fan — to cool the air

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