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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: tear · chair · club · nail · lie · deal · sharp · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lie — to recline
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. club — a group
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chair — a leader
  21. deal — to handle
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. chair — to sit on

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