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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 116 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: rule · sharp · dip · mine · safe · last · tear · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. last — to go on
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. land — to come down
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. dip — to sink
  15. last — finally
  16. mine — for digging
  17. land — ground
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. tear — to rip
  20. rule — a law
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. last — final
  23. tear — from crying
  24. sharp — with an edge

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