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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 · bore · plane · arm · net · date · fan · hide

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bore — to drill
  9. net — after costs
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bore — to tire
  12. plane — a tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. sharp — clever
  18. net — in sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. net — for catching
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bore — gave birth

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