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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: sharp · ruler · object · saw · bulb · bear · pop · tear

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pop — music
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tear — to rip
  9. object — a thing
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pop — soda
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. object — to protest
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. tear — from crying
  19. object — an aim
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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