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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.

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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: sharp · rock · face · mark · arm · tear · ground · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. tear — to rip
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. mark — a grade
  11. ground — a position
  12. face — to confront
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mark — a trace

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