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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: band · sharp · rule · straw · plane · safe · deal · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. band — a ring
  6. rule — a law
  7. tear — from crying
  8. sharp — clever
  9. rule — government
  10. tear — from crying
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. band — a music group
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. deal — an agreement

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