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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: rock · wound · pitcher · charge · arm · sharp · drill · lash

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. drill — a practice
  3. charge — in control
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. drill — army training
  10. wound — an injury
  11. sharp — clever
  12. drill — the tool
  13. charge — electricity
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rock — a stone
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. charge — a price
  21. rock — music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. lash — an eyelash

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