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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: tear · branch · snap · mine · rush · bound · lash · bark

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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 — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lash — to lash out
  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