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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.

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: kick · swing · rash · bear · court · lash · sharp · nail

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. court — of a king
  5. swing — music
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rash — a series
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bear — the animal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. kick — in football
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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