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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · root · hand · lash · straw · sharp · suit · face

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. root — of a word
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. hand — help
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. suit — to fit
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. face — part of the head
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. suit — in cards
  12. sharp — clever
  13. face — to point toward
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. root — of a plant
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. suit — clothes
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. face — to confront
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. root — the cause
  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