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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: firm · object · charge · sharp · mine · tear · deal · rock

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. object — to protest
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. tear — to rip
  8. deal — to handle
  9. object — a thing
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tear — from crying
  14. firm — a company
  15. charge — a price
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. firm — decided
  18. object — an aim
  19. firm — steady
  20. charge — in control
  21. rock — a stone
  22. charge — electricity
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mine — for digging

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