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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: mate · arm · leaves · mark · bore · fan · shower · sharp

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mark — a grade
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mate — a friend
  14. sharp — clever
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. shower — rain
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mate — to breed
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mate — a partner
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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