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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: lie · tear · sharp · pitcher · court · mine · charge · ruler

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lie — to recline
  4. sharp — clever
  5. charge — electricity
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — a price
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. court — of a king
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. charge — in control
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mine — for digging
  18. court — of law
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tear — from crying
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. court — for sport

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