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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 · lash · sharp · court · rash · ground · racket · safe

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rash — a series
  6. court — of law
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — crushed
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ground — a position
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. sharp — clever
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. arm — a part of something

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