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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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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: last · sharp · shower · arm · net · rush · craft · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. date — the fruit
  2. net — for catching
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. net — after costs
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — final
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. last — to go on
  13. craft — a skill
  14. shower — rain
  15. last — finally
  16. net — in sport
  17. craft — boats
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rush — hurry
  24. arm — a part of something

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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