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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
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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: hand · sharp · present · root · rash · race · lean · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. root — of a plant
  3. race — a contest
  4. present — a gift
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rash — a series
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. lean — thin
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rash — hasty
  18. race — humankind
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. hand — help
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. sharp — clever
  24. hand — part of the body

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