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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: tear · mouse · arm · fine · mark · plane · fan · sharp

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. tear — from crying
  3. sharp — clever
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. tear — to rip
  24. plane — a tool

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