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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: saw · sharp · court · stand · kick · hand · net · lash

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. saw — the tool
  6. hand — in cards
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. sharp — clever
  9. saw — the tool
  10. net — in sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. kick — in football
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stand — to bear
  19. net — for catching
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. court — for sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. stand — on your feet

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