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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: roll · tear · safe · lie · sharp · straw · wave · ruler

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. tear — from crying
  8. roll — a list
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. roll — a cake
  13. tear — from crying
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tear — to rip
  16. lie — to recline
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ruler — for measuring

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