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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bay · tear · sharp · rule · pop · charge · ruler · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pop — soda
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rule — a law
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pop — to visit
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rule — government
  15. pop — music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. charge — a price
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. charge — in control
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rule — to rule out

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