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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: clip · tear · straw · sharp · firm · tube · fine · ruler

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fine — high quality
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. tube — a container
  9. sharp — clever
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fine — all right
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. tube — the underground
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. tear — from crying
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. clip — for paper
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. tear — to rip

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